It was Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka who sometime ago introduced  the sarcasm of “please quote me in my own words” into the public sphere. The irony should be obvious: how else could a man be quoted except in his own words?  Soyinka has employed  the phrase to respond to the  frequent attribution of false statements  to him by unscrupulous elements who attempt  to rig legitimacy into their views by giving those positions the Soyinka signature. Unforunately, the activities  of persons “quoting” Soyinka in their own  words have not abated in the permissive world of  social media. This trend  triggered the publication of the series entitled “Interventions,”  by which Soyinka now  responds to specific topics of public debate.

In fact, long before the advent of the social media, some eminent public figures were not content with speaking to reporters  when granting interviews. They would insist on writing their responses to the questions from media houses. 

Perhaps, former governor of Jigawa State and one-time foreign minister, Alhaji Sule Lamido, had in mind  this extreme distortion of history arising from the perversion in the social sphere when he embarked on writing his memoirs entitled “Being True to Myself.”

 By writing his own story, Lamido has offered history a self-definition of his political personality. This book will  remain clearly distinguishable from other versions of the Lamido story  which may be told by others. To that extent he has done a great justice to himself and posterity. In other words, Lamido may not need to plead henceforth  that “quote me in my own words.”

Not many Nigerian politicians can lay claim to political traditions. Yet there are identifiable political traditions of different origins  in the history of  Nigerian politics. Lamido is indisputably among the view   politicians that could be traced to a political tradition that is undeniably progressive. And he is very proud of this background. A man of organisation, Lamido is also among the vanishing breed of politicians who take the  fidelity to political parties seriously. To be sure, if there is one politician who would not defect from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that politician is certainly Sule Lamido, the prince from Bamaina in Jigawa state!  As one of the founders of the PDP, Lamido has remained committed to the party through thick and thin of the stormy waters of Nigerian politics. The progressive streak  has been discernible in Lamido’s politics all through his career. In the Second Republic he was elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), a party that had the heritage of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) whose leader was the legendary populist, Mallam Aminu Kano. To the people, NEPU was simply the party of the “talakawa,” the poor. During the transition programme of President Ibrahim Babangida, Lamido was elected the national secretary of the “little to the left” Social Democratic Party (SDP). In this dispensation the PDP cannot, of course,  be accused of being a party of the Left. Yet Lamido, as a PDP governor in Jigawa did something that was reminiscent of his NEPU political ancestry. Long before the idea of cash transfer as a social protection instrument was embraced by the  federal government, Lamido’s administration in Jigawa had a programme of giving stipend to the most vulnerable in the state based an authentic social register. The programme expectedly generated an avalanche of criticisms from the right-wing  elite who argued that the money given to the poor could be better invested in cottage industries and other economic alternatives. Lamido countered the technicist arguments on a philosophical basis. He explained that the organising principle underlying the programme was the respect for the dignity of human person and not economic calculus. In any case, the beneficiaries were living on begging; some of them without limbs were carried in wheelbarrows  to line the streets. Such persons were not in the position to engage in productive activities even if the jobs were available. The idea of the cash transfer was to keep the beggars off the streets while the stipend is taken to the poor  in a dignified manner.  Here we are talking of the  poorest of the poor. Anyone who was  already a dependant on another person, who earning income, was disqualified from receiving the stipend because of  limited resources.

Such is the nature of the politics of Lamido whose  autobiography will be launched in Abuja next Tuesday.

The composition of the committee organising the book launch says something about the breadth of  Lamido’s politics.

The committee chaired  by Senator Mustapha Khabeeb has Dr. Aminu Abdullahi Taura as secretary. Other distinguished members of the organising committee are Senator Ibrahim Musa Kazaure, Ambassador Joe Keshi, Ambassador John Shankaiye, Hon. Musa Elayo,  Iyom Josephine Anenih, Hajiya Inna Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Professor Tijjani Naniya, Dr. Max Ndugi Abe, Dr. Auwalu Anwar, Dr. Akilu Sani Indabawa, Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido, Dr. Babandi Ibrahim, Prof. Nu’uman, Alhaji Ahmed Amin, Alhaji Ismaila Omipidan, Umar Kyari Jitau and Umar Danjani.

Below is a  foretaste of the book launch  given yesterday at a press conference  by Senator  Khabeeb:

“Sule Lamido’s autobiography, for which he gives the intriguing title BEING TRUE TO MYSELF, takes the reader through a  revealing story on the making of what he has become today – a versatile, au courant, urbane, cosmopolitan, knowledgeable, dynamic, highly principled and dedicated leader and public servant who has given his all towards the making of modern-day Nigeria. As an elder statesman now, Sule Lamido has done well to document this revealing and remarkable experience, which has taken him to the nooks and corners of our country and beyond. He revealed how this has enabled him to build an enormous clientele of friendship and association with people from all parts of the country and internationally. His calling initially in the private sector before joining the political fray revealed itself in his rich pattern of relationships.

“It is worthwhile for everyone to recognize that Sule Lamido’s character and disposition took root from his typically innocent Fulani nature of truthfulness, of seeing life with pure simplicity devoid of flamboyance or pretence. But, it is also a disposition of not being given to condescending or patronising attitude from anyone – no matter their social standing. His is a character that has also been moulded and imbued with a sense of honour, sincerity and honesty, typical of a blue blood pedigree.

“Viewed from this antecedent, Sule can easily be excused for his bold, blunt truthfulness when it comes to speaking his mind on any given issue, to anybody, no matter how highly placed.

“President Olusegun Obasanjo discovered these attributes early in Sule and probably was one reason for the enormous confidence he had in him to make Sule Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

“Besides writing a foreword to BEING TRUE TO MYSELF, the former President is also the Special Guest of Honour at next Tuesday’s occasion.

“So, did the author of BEING TRUE TO MYSELF have a central role and say in all other political arrangements that culminated in the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party? Indeed, Sule was a founding member who has tenaciously stuck with the party to this day.

“Many other colleagues of his have since switched camps, some several times. Sule Lamido, Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi, Dr Iyorchia Ayu , the book reviewer next Tuesday, all played key roles at the Jos Convention which produced Obasanjo as the presidential candidate and later as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999.

“BEING TRUE TO MYSELF will surely resonate not only with students of history and politics,  but with every Nigerian who still believes in the politics of principles and the promise of a better Nigeria.”

Doubtless, Lamido’s autobiograpghy is a welcome addition to the corpus of memoirs of those individuals who have played significant roles in the  making (and unmaking?) of Nigeria. This is more so given the shallowness often displayed in the public shere about even the recent history of the nation. There are indeed untold stories of Nigeria. How enriching would it have been to history if General Yakubu Gowon and Dim Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu  could write their respective memoirs  on the civil war. Those who have stories to tell should write from their various perspectives. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was in charge of the Nigerian state cumulatively for nine years and  eight months, said he would not write his memoirs because doing so would make  some people unhappy. On the contrary, from whatever prism through which Babangida’s memoirs, “A Journey in Service: An Autobiography,”  is read, the point is  that the former president has told his own story. And he is very lucky to do so. 

This reporter, as a  member of  a three-man  team which interviewed Babangida 27 years ago in Minna, posed the question of what the general thought  the verdict of history would be on him in the light of the criticisms from various quarters. Babangida’s response was that there would be many versions of the history. Now, it is difficult to fault that assertion, which is far from being cryptic as the former president is often described.

Some philosophers of history object to Thomas Carlyle’s argument that  the “history of the world is the biograpghy of great men.”   Yet, it is indubitable that the insights and arguments  from the  various biographies of individuals who have played important  roles in history  would constitute some of the  veritable materials to be used by professional historians for the  construction of a grand history of Nigeria.

Here lies the significance of Lamido’s memoirs.

So, saying congratulations to Alhaji Sule Lamido will be in order.

United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a historic opportunity for illegal aliens to receive both financial and travel assistance to facilitate travel back to their home country through the CBP Home App.

According to the statement, any illegal alien who uses the CBP Home App to self-deport will also receive a stipend of $1,000 dollars, paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app.

Self-deportation is a dignified way to leave America and will allow illegal aliens to avoid being encountered by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Even with the cost of the stipend, it is projected that the use of CBP Home will decrease the costs of a deportation by around 70 per cent. Currently the average cost to arrest, detain, and remove an illegal alien is $17,121.

The first use of travel assistance has already proven successful. An illegal alien that the Biden Administration allowed into our country recently utilized the program to receive a ticket for a flight from Chicago to Honduras. Additional tickets have already been booked for this week and the following week.

Secretary, Kristi Noem, said, “If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App. This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70 per cent savings for United States taxpayers.”

The statement read that Illegal aliens submitting their intent to voluntarily self-deport in CBP Home will also be deprioritised for detention and removal ahead of their departure as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure. Participation in CBP Home Self-Deportation may help preserve the option for an illegal alien to re-enter the United States legally in the future.

[Guardian]

Many Nigerians appear to have scaled back their internet usage following a steep 50 per cent hike in telecom tariffs approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in January 2025, new data has shown.

Figures from the NCC indicate that internet consumption dropped from a record 1 million terabytes (TB) in January to 893,054.80 TB in February, a significant decline that coincided with the implementation of the new pricing regime.

Although data usage picked up again in March to 995,876.10 TB, it still fell short of January’s total.

The tariff increase, which took effect on January 20, raised the floor price for several services. The cost of voice calls jumped from ₦6.40 to ₦9.60 per minute, SMS from ₦4 to ₦6, and 1GB of data from ₦287.50 to ₦431.25.

It marked the first major adjustment in telecom pricing in over a decade, as operators had long argued that rising inflation, forex shortages, and energy costs were eroding their margins.

While the dip in February could be partially attributed to typical seasonal trends, data usage also declined in February of both 2023 and 2024, analysts say the size of the drop this year points to a deeper consumer response to rising costs.

IT Expert, Jide Awe said, “Consumers are very sensitive to price changes in data and telecom services. A 50 per cent increase in such a short time will likely prompt a behavioural shift, especially among low and middle income users who form the bulk of the market.”

Despite the decline in usage, the tariff increase has proven lucrative for operators. MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecom provider with 90.49 million subscribers, reported a record ₦529.44 billion in data revenue for the first quarter of 2025.

“Looking ahead, we anticipate continued momentum in service revenue, underpinned by strong demand for data and a proactive approach to customer value management,” said Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria.

Toriola added that the price adjustment is expected to further bolster revenue in the coming quarters.

Meanwhile, mobile subscriptions continued to grow. Total active mobile lines rose to 172.43 million in Q1 2025, while mobile internet subscriptions reached 142.05 million.

Broadband penetration also increased to 47.73 per cent, signaling continued expansion of digital infrastructure even as cost pressures test user engagement.

The coming months may determine whether Nigerians adapt to the higher telecom rates or begin cutting back further. For now, the data suggests that while telecom companies are seeing financial gains, many everyday users are making tough choices about how they connect.

Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to developing a technology-driven system aimed at enhancing easy and equitable access to student loans.

Sawyerr gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing representatives from Polytechnics, Monotechnics, and Institutes during a Stakeholders Engagement Session and Technical Workshop on NELFUND System Automation and Loan Application Processes.

He explained that the Fund was working towards a seamless, transparent platform that allowed students to confidently access loans without unnecessary stress.

“At NELFUND, our mission goes beyond disbursing loans. It’s about opening doors and ensuring every young Nigerian with a desire to learn and grow has a real opportunity, regardless of their background, location, or field of study. 

“For too long, students, especially in technical institutions, have faced significant financial barriers. Many have had to drop out, while others never even considered applying.

“That’s the gap we at NELFUND aim to close but we can’t do it alone. This is a shared mission involving government institutions and the private sector,” Sawyerr said.

Sawyerr emphasised that NELFUND was not only providing financial support but also building a technology-driven infrastructure that enabled easier application processes, institutional verification, and fast, fair disbursement.

“We’re striving for stress-free access a system students can trust.

“Transparency is key so that no applicant is left in the dark. We rely on you, our institutional partners, to help bring this vision to life,” he added.

He urged institutions to partner with NELFUND, saying the goal was to build a system that would not only be functional and sustainable but also truly transformative.

“As we integrate NELFUND processes with institutional systems and standards, we must remember that at the centre of all this is the student, a young Nigerian with dreams and ambition. Everything we do must serve that student.

“The only way forward is through collaboration, open communication, and practical solutions,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Iyal Mustapha, Executive Director of Operations at NELFUND, said that more than 320,000 students had received funding so far, with further verifications ongoing.

Mustapha clarified that discrepancies between registered students and those whose applications were successfully processed often stemmed from incomplete applications on the students’ part.

“We have 576,000 registrations on our portal, but only 516,000 completed applications. Some may have dropped out due to data issues or just wanted to test the system.

“We want to bridge this gap, and with your support, we can ensure more students access the institutional loan,” he said.

Mustapha further explained that the institutional loan, which is different from the monthly upkeep loan of N20,000, was disbursed directly to institutions.

He added that NELFUND was considering integrating directly with institutional portals to simplify the process for students.

“We’re exploring the possibility of deploying our IT teams to institutions to enable direct connection with your portals.

“Ideally, students should be able to apply via your platforms without having to come through NELFUND, making the process smoother and more accessible,” he said.

(NAN)

As the 2027 general elections approach, political permutations are intensifying in Kebbi State, with former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), emerging as a central figure.

There are strong indications that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is mounting pressure on Malami to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) and run for governor in 2027 on its platform, DAILY POST has learnt.

Sources within the political circles in Kebbi and Abuja informed DAILY POST that Malami has been offered the SDP governorship ticket, with backing allegedly orchestrated by former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

However, Malami, who was a top official in President Buhari’s government, is reportedly holding back, waiting to see what Governor Nasir Idris does next and where the APC in Kebbi is headed.

A reliable source close to the former AGF told DAILY POST that “Malami was expected to officially announce his defection to the SDP in mid-April alongside former Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi, but he has deliberately delayed the move.

“He’s watching the governor (Idris) closely, especially with the claims making the rounds that he may leave the ruling party. If Idris decamps from APC, Malami may remain to easily claim the guber ticket. But if the governor stays put, he could jump ship.”

This calculation became more pressing following unconfirmed reports that Governor Idris may be flirting with an Atiku-led opposition coalition.

While the governor has since denied the reports, publicly affirming his loyalty to the APC, saying, “I’ll be the last man standing”, the rumours have stirred considerable tension within the party’s ranks in Kebbi.

A source in Governor Idris’ cabinet confided in our reporter that there are truly pressures from Atiku’s camp wooing the governor to leave APC, but he is not willing to defect for any reason.

“Governors are defecting to the APC, and you expect a sitting governor who maintains a good relationship with the federal government to leave?

“Of course, there are pressures here and there, but I can assure you, Governor Idris is going nowhere. You can take that to the bank. As for the PDP and SDP, they’re as good as dead,” he told our reporter.

Multiple sources confirmed that El-Rufai recently met with Malami and other northern political players in Katsina to form a formidable northern political coalition that would rival the current Bola Tinubu-led APC government in 2027.

One source said El-Rufai “promised Malami a free ticket and full support,” to join the SDP.

“El-Rufai is building something bigger than just Kebbi. He’s connecting dots across Kaduna, Katsina Kebbi and Gombe. Malami is central to the Kebbi plan,” the source said.

Speaking further, the insider said “The challenge is that El-Rufai is yet to gain national acceptance in the South following his recent defection to the SDP.

“This development has caused Malami to reconsider his position. El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP appeared hasty and lacked foresight.

“Many believe he may have defected to the SDP as part of a strategic move to work for President Tinubu, aiming to block any potential coalition by the PDP, which is currently engulfed in deep crisis.

“Don’t forget, the man in power is a known strategist and Malami is not unaware of this. This is one of the reasons he seems to have been foot-dragging.

“Now, the question is whether Malami, should he accept the SDP offer, has what it takes to defeat the incumbent governor in 2027.”

Political analysts in the state have stated that the odds may not be far-fetched.

Governor Idris, despite his initial goodwill and populist appeal, has been plagued by growing insecurity in rural areas of the state, especially around Danko-Wasagu and parts of Zuru Emirate.

Farmers have been displaced, banditry has surged and displaced persons continue to mount pressure on already fragile local resources.

His administration has also faced criticism over slow infrastructural development and what critics described as a “disconnect” from grassroots needs.

“Governor Idris seems to have lost some shine in the eyes of Kebbi people. There’s frustration in the air.

“People want security and visible development. Malami can capitalize on that if he plays his cards right,” a senior SDP official said.

However, Kabir Mustapha, a former secretary of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Bagudo West and now a chieftain of the APC, said that even if the state were to seek a new governor, Abubakar Malami might not be the preferred candidate.

“You don’t substitute your best player in the middle of a match. When it comes to governance, Governor Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, remains the best.

“A hundred Malamis can’t match him. When I hear people say the governor is defecting, I just laugh. Defect for what, exactly? Is anyone contesting the state with him?

“Is the federal government fighting him? The rumours are nothing more than beer parlour talk.”

Despite his national image as a Buhari loyalist and a technocrat, Malami’s acceptability at home remains limited, except in Birnin Kebbi and parts of Argungu and Gwandu, where he is believed to enjoy the backing of traditional rulers and local political structures he has built over the years.

“Malami helped a lot of youths while he was in office. He still commands respect and his quiet philanthropy hasn’t gone unnoticed,” one community leader told this paper.

However, Malami also carries the baggage of past controversies from his time as AGF, including criticism over his handling of high-profile corruption cases and perceived partisan overreach..

For now, Malami’s rumoured ambition to contest for the Kebbi State governorship in the 2027 elections has further ignited a cold war between him and Governor Idris.

This political rivalry has been simmering for some time, with both men vying for control and influence in the state, especially with the upcoming elections drawing nearer.

DAILY POST reported that the cold war has intensified, with reports about the alleged arrest of Mukhtar Dan Baturiya, a prominent activist and staunch supporter of Malami.

The arrest was reportedly linked to a Facebook post where Baturiya shared the possibility of Governor Nasir Idris defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

With two years left to the polls, the political chessboard in Kebbi is heating up.

If Malami makes the leap to the SDP and gains El-Rufai’s full backing, the race could become one of the most hotly contested in the North-West.

[DailyPost]

• Nigeria’s Okpaleke among 133 electors

Cardinals will today move into the Conclave at the Vatican to elect a new Pope in succession to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday.

One hundred and thirty-three cardinal electors will perform the sacred assignment of picking the leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide and the head of state of the Vatican.

Nigeria’s Peter Okpaleke, the Bishop of Ekwulobia, Anambra State is the only one  of the four Nigerian candidates qualified to participate in the process.

The 133 elector-cardinals are spread across 71 countries.

Eighty per cent of them were appointed cardinals by Pope Francis.

What will confront the electors is whether the new Pope should be a progressive, who will continue the way Pope Francis ran the church or a conservative who will reverse the order.

They may also choose a centrist.

The countries with the most electors are: Italy (17), the United States (10), Brazil (seven), France and Spain (five each), Argentina, Canada, India, Poland and Portugal (four apiece).

How the Pope will be elected

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave.

For the conclave, the cardinal electors proceed to the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of absolute secrecy. Thereafter the doors are sealed.

The cardinals vote by secret ballot, processing one by one up to Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded ballot in a large chalice.

Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. The result of each ballot are counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders.

If no one receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke.

When a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before processing out to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope.

The senior cardinal deacon, currently French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, announces from the balcony of St. Peter’s “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”) before the new pope processes out and imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the entire world.

On Monday, workers installed curtains on the balcony where the new Pontiff will appear. A temporary chimney is in place on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will cast secret ballots. White smoke will eventually signal the election of the next leader for the world’s Catholics.

Over 179 cardinals are in Rome, participating in the 10th general congregation.

The Nigerian connection

Okpaleke was appointed a cardinal by the late Pope Francis in 2022 and will participate in the election of the new leader of the Catholic Church.

His appointment as Bishop of Ahiara Diocese was met with resistance, but was eventually installed as Bishop of Ekwulobia.

Three other Nigerian cardinals, Francis Arinze (92), Anthony Olubunmi Okogie (88) and John Onaiyekan (81), have no vote been more than 80 years old.

Born on March 1, 1963, in Amesi, Anambra State, Bishop Okpaleke has had a distinguished career in the church, serving in various capacities, including as a priest, bishop, and cardinal.

His educational background includes studying philosophy and theology at the Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Ikot-Ekpene and Enugu.

He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Awka on August 22, 1990.

Despite the controversy, he has continued to serve the church and has held various positions, including Chairman of the Canon Law Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

In about 160 countries worldwide, May 1 is earmarked as International Workers’ Day. Thus, last Thursday, Nigerian Workers celebrated their day with fanfare at Eagle Square in Abuja and across all the state capitals. It was also observed as a public holiday. Labour Unions, namely the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, also reel out a 20-point demand from the government. Before going on to analyse these demands, who really are the workers? They are wealth creators. There are different categories of workers. There are public cum civil servants who form government bureaucracy and there are also the organised private sector workers. Some also work in the informal sectors, such as artisans, petty traders and labourers. Anyone who engages in any form of labour to earn income is a worker.

The high rate of unemployment in Nigeria has pushed most people to be self-employed. Some are underemployed. The irony is that workers hardly receive their real worth in wages and salaries. They are mostly shortchanged. One of the sordid realities of many Nigerian workers is casualisation. Many factories, financial institutions, such as banks and insurance companies, electricity distribution companies, telecommunication companies as well as oil and gas companies, are now outsourcing their staff recruitment to agencies rather than via direct employment. The recruited staff are unfortunately not given full employment with proper remuneration but are recruited as casual staff without job security and any perks, such as housing, transport and meals allowance. No leave bonus and no retirement benefits. Instead of running an eight-hour shift, some factory workers run 12-hour shifts. This means that, unlike what the Nigerian and global labour practices stated that a worker should work for eight hours daily, this category of workers works for 12 straight hours without getting paid overtime. This is pure slave labour!

For those who are gainfully employed and earn the minimum wage with all the perks, unfortunately, inflation and devaluation of the currency have made a mincemeat of their income. For instance, a worker earning the basic N70,000 minimum wage cannot live a decent life because of the astronomical cost of living. As a result of the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, the increase in electricity tariff, the increase in the cost of telecommunication tariff, and the devaluation of the naira by 40 per cent, the costs of goods and services have skyrocketed. In my neck of the woods here in Abuja, my rent has just been increased by 120 per cent. Petrol sells for over N900 per litre and this has led to a spike in transport costs; cooking gas is over N1,500 per kilogramme. Need I say that school fees have also been upwardly reviewed? How will a worker, on national minimum wage, be able to afford essential commodities for himself and his family?

Ironically, some state governments have not started paying the new national minimum wage of N70,000, signed into law in July 2024. These state governments’ alibi is that they are not elected as governors only to pay wages, as only a fraction of the citizens of their states are government workers. Meanwhile, the old minimum wage of N30,000 is peanuts in value terms, given the current inflationary trend and purchasing power parity of the naira. It is the lackadaisical attitude of the government to the workers’ plight that is responsible for truancy, indolence and corruption in the public service.

Aside from remuneration issues, there is also the challenge of an unconducive work environment. In some government offices, as many as six to eight staff members share a small office. The office is sometimes not well ventilated. There are either no fans or air conditioners. Where there are, there is often no light to power them, or they have become faulty and unserviceable. Toilet facilities in many offices, both public and private enterprises, are an eyesore. There is often no water to flush the toilet when used. Sometimes the water closet has become faulty, and water, where available, floods the restroom. Elevators meant to serve multistory offices sometimes break down for months without repair, thereby forcing staff and visitors to climb the staircase. God help you if you have arthritis or you’re someone in a wheelchair or using crutches. Insecurity plaguing the country is also negatively impacting workers’ productivity.

The plight of senior citizens is worse than those still in service. They sometimes don’t receive their pension and gratuity as and when due. Meanwhile, the pension, which is a fraction of their salaries, is so paltry that it cannot feed them, let alone enable them to live a decent life in retirement. This is partly why many people falsify their age to avoid early retirement.

The aforementioned are part of the reasons for the labour unions’ 20-point demand during this year’s workers’ day celebration. The PUNCH of May 2, 2025 (online edition) reported that among other things, the NLC and TUC asked for tax cuts, better retirement package, reversal of the emergency declaration in Rivers State, salary adjustment, withdrawal of the tax bills, reduction of telecommunication tariffs from 50 per cent to 35 per cent and upward review of retirement age to 65 for all categories of civil servants. The National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, presented the demands during the event in Abuja. Making a case for better treatment for Nigerian workers, the NLC leader said, “It is imperative to extend the revised retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of service currently enjoyed by teachers, health professionals, and judges to all public servants.”

Reading a speech he jointly signed with his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, the NLC leader expressed frustration with the continued prioritisation of corporate profits over the survival of the ordinary Nigerian, calling for reforms that would shift focus toward the people. Essential services, such as energy, infrastructure, and public utilities, he emphasised, must be oriented toward serving the public interest rather than private gains. On matters of governance, he demanded democratic accountability, transparency, and urgent electoral reforms.

The labour bodies condemned what they described as a sustained suppression of civic space and dissent, calling on federal and state governments to stop actions that erode citizens’ rights and instead work to strengthen democratic norms. They also called for an immediate end to the widespread killings and bloodshed across the country, labelling the violence as genocidal and intolerable.

All the aforementioned are some of the demands of the labour unions, which I fully endorse. However, I should add that workers, too, must shun all corrupt practices. There is no gainsaying that some of the civil servants are corrupt. For instance, the N80bn allegedly found in the personal account of a sacked managing director of one of our ailing refineries. This was the lead story in the Saturday PUNCH of May 3, 2025. If this gargantuan sum is established as the proceeds of crime, imagine what these huge sums could do for our infrastructural development. Thus, workers must learn to live above board and work for the betterment of the country. It is also important for the workers to be well-resourced in terms of office spaces and equipment. They should also be trained and retrained, and have their capacity built in the use of technological innovations that will aid performance of their tasks.

Oyo State has enjoyed a good run with its last two governors, Abiola Ajimobi and the current governor, Seyi Makinde, whose two-term tenure will end in 2027. The citizens point to visible physical developments and relative peace, especially within the state capital, Ibadan. So, the next governor must also be competent and experienced.

Admirers say that Adebayo Adelabu, who appears to be the preeminent contender, fits the bill. He is a Fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and an alumnus of the consultancy firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, from where he was seconded to lead the turnaround team on “Project EAGLE” for reengineering and corporate renewal of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

From CBN, he moved into core banking with First Atlantic Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and First Bank of Nigeria, where he was Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer. In 2014, President Goodluck appointed him CBN Deputy Governor, Operations.

After CBN, he went into farming and the hospitality business. In 2019, he contested to be the governor of Oyo State and lost to Governor Makinde. Some argue that his loss was due to public disaffection with Ajimobi, his sponsor, whose wont is to always put his foot in his mouth. 

Adelabu contested the loss of the election in the court but accepted the verdict that declared Governor Makinde as the winner. He returned home to mind his business until 2023, when he contested and lost the primaries of the All Progressives Congress to Senator Teslim Folarin.

Adelabu, who is yet to publicly declare his intention to run for Oyo State Governor in 2027, is alleged to have told someone who asked if he would run, “Let’s leave everything in the hands of God, and allow the people of Oyo State to decide.”

He may have said this in deferment to Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022, which says, “No political appointee at any level shall be (a) voting delegate or be voted for, at a convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

But then, Adelabu, who has never won an election, has a formidable opponent in three-term senator and former Senate Leader, Senator Folarin, to whom he lost the 2022 gubernatorial primaries of the APC. This caused him to temporarily defect to the Accord Party, from where President Bola Tinubu “retrieved” him and appointed him Minister of Power.

Folarin studied political science at the University of Ibadan before proceeding to Harvard University for a diploma. He then worked with Her Majesty’s Department (Ministry) of Trade in Britain and returned to Nigeria in 2002 to observe the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps. After that, he went straight into politics to win his first term as a senator.

But in 2023, Folarin lost the governorship election to Governor Makinde. Apart from politics, he is an Ibadan traditionalist. He may become the Olubadan, as he has started climbing the ladder as Mogaji of his family and the Laguna Olubadan.

Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who was a senator representing Oyo State and an astute businessman, who is next in line to be Olubadan, may have inspired Senator Folarin’s aspiration to be Oyo State governor and Olubadan.

The other Adelabu, cerebral Dr Zach Adelabu Adedeji, Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance and alumnus of American multinational, Procter & Gamble, is said to have declined running for governor in 2027. But fingers are still crossed.

So Adelabu and Senator Folarin, both members of the APC, may be the contestants for governor in 2027. No one is quite sure who will contest from the People’s Democratic Party or any other political party. Governor Makinde does not seem to have a preferred candidate.

Some say that his “collabo” with presidential candidate Tinubu in the 2023 general elections may have led to an “understanding” for his trading of the office of the governor for a senatorial ambition that has not yet been declared. But, of course, this is in the realm of speculation.

But there is some doubt against Adelabu’s speculated ambition to contest the governorship election in 2027 from his opponents, who say that his tenure as Minister of Power has yet to deliver the expected results to Nigerians.

His admirers, however, argue that Nigerians will soon witness a turnaround because he has been able to gain ample mastery of the knowledge that can help revive the electricity sector that appears jinxed by insurmountable challenges.

Also, they argue that perhaps the current operational template that puts electricity generation, transmission and distribution in silos, instead of integrating them in each of the regional markets, is the Achilles’ heel of the electricity sector.

They draw an analogy from the argument that, as is, Nigeria itself may not achieve much political, economic and social progress until the polity is restructured so that each state, or at least each region, can handle its economy at its level.

This will mean that the whole gamut of governance, electricity, water supply, railways, agriculture, industry, mineral resources and others will be handled at the sub-national level, and no one will have to go cap in hand to the monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee for funds from the suzerains in Abuja.

This theory works for those who argue that Adelabu should transition to the sub-national level as the governor of Oyo State, where, as the chief executive officer, he can use his acumen and skills in management and finance for the benefit of the people.

They point to Babatunde Fashola, who was an excellent governor of Lagos State but had limited success as Minister of Power, Works and Housing under the unusually absent-minded President Muhammadu Buhari. In other words, Adelabu needs to be his own man to deliver a superlative performance. That is a probable argument.

By the way, mischief-makers, who flew the kite of the sacking of Adelabu and the Ministers of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar and Bello Matawalle, by President Tinubu, could have aborted Adelabu’s quest to be governor or jump-started his runs.

One good reason for competent personnel, policies and programmes at Nigeria’s sub-national government levels is the call by President Tinubu and his communication team that the media and the citizens must pay more attention to the activities of state governors who now receive higher remittances from FAAC.

The enormous financial resources that are now available to state governors and local government chairmen, as a result of the removal of petrol and other subsidies, should not be placed in the hands of incompetents or kleptomaniacs.

Increasing agitation across the country for fiscal federalism and stronger regions calls for more competent hands as administrators at the state or regional levels. The days of mediocre managers at state and local government levels are running out.

Will President Tinubu support Adelabu, his Minister of Power, for Oyo State governor? Observers think he will likely go in that direction. But the observers also insist that Adelabu must work hard to snatch the oyster from wily Senator Folarin.

They say he must invoke the spirit of his grandfather, late Ibadan stormy petrel, Adegoke “Penkelemesi” Adelabu, to swing the electorate to his side. With recent defections to the APC, President Tinubu’s APC choice may become the next Oyo State governor.

So, Adelabu and Folarin each have just one more political river to cross.

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has shared his thoughts on his career trajectory while celebrating a significant accomplishment in his music career after surpassing 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify for the first time.

This achievement follows the release of his fifth studio album, 5ive, which has continued to garner widespread attention.

In a moment of reflection, Davido expressed pride in how far he has come, emphasising that his success was not the result of industry endorsements or influential mentors.

Unlike many of his contemporaries who had early backing from key figures in the music industry, he built his career independently through perseverance and dedication.

Nonetheless, Davido was quick to attribute much of his success to divine grace and the unwavering support of his fans.

He wrote, “No co-sign, built from the ground up! Just God, good music and the best fans! I Appreciate you guys fr [for real]!

“Who wan even CO-SIGN big man like me ?? Hmmm another angle sha ”

5ive, Davido’s April 18, 2025 release, includes 17 tracks and has become a runaway success, amassing millions of streams and sitting comfortably at the top of Afrobeats charts.

[Punch]

Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, says the party will accommodate Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, into its folds if he decides to join.

Speaking to newsmen after receiving Alhaji Yusuf Ata, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Ganduje said:” The APC is deepening and widening democracy in the country.

”Kwankwaso is a fish out of water, trying to find its way back into the waters. 

“We cannot say we can’t accommodate him, because a friend in need is a friend indeed.

“We don’t want to leave him completely abandoned, we can still have him in, if he wants to join us”.

“When you see your son running to where he would get shelter and you are a big brother in a big home, I think it is morally right to accommodate him.

“So, we cannot say we cannot accommodate him,” Ganduje stressed.

Earlier, Ata, who is a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly said he visited Ganduje to pay his respect and to appreciate him and show support for what the President Bola Tinubu-led administration was doing for Kano State.

“We are strongly behind Tinubu and we are working round the clock to ensure we deliver Kano State in 2027,” he said.

Speaking on the ‘Kwankwasiyya movement”, Ata said the Kwankwasiyya red cap era was becoming a thing of the past in the state.

”For me, I will not want the former Kano state governor to be welcomed into the APC fold. But I have no choice if our national chairman decides to have him on board.” Ata said.

[Vanguard]