Emem woke up suddenly. She didn’t know what startled her out of sleep. She sat up and could hear movements. Was there a rat in the house? Then she listened again. It was water falling on a hard surface. But it was not raining. She pushed aside the window blind and saw the most traumatic, strange and confusing sight of her life. Her husband of 20 years, the father of her twins boys who were undergraduates, was there bathing naked, chanting something. Incarnations? Prayers? Well, the covered calabash he was scooping soap, black soap, from told the rest of the story.

When we say or hear that a wife should step back from a marriage that has become life-threatening, what most of us think is that it is about physical abuse, wife battering or husband battering. Well, there are more things than kicking in the teeth of a spouse that can be life-threatening. One of them is resort to diabolical or fetish ways to manipulate or even eliminate your spouse, for whatever reasons.

Like Emem found out to her shock and dismay that night. She was too scared to confront Emeka when he finished his ‘black bath’. Indeed, she dived right back under the duvet and pretended to be fast asleep. Of course, she didn’t sleep a wink the rest of the night. Who would? She didn’t know if the sight she just beheld would be followed by beheading. She didn’t know if her husband was going to continue the diabolical session in some other way in their room.

Emem couldn’t look at the husband in the eyes the following morning. She became afraid generally around Emeka. She couldn’t eat if the food was bought by Emeka. The usual suya and barbecue chicken he bought every Friday on his way home suddenly became suspicious, dreaded and some sort of sacrifice in her imagination, even without tasting it. She simply couldn’t leave her drink with Emeka.

‘I became extremely cautious around him. I searched through his wardrobe and found a lot of fetish stuff. I noticed he had fresh incisions just above his buttocks. I started paying more attention to his conversations, movements and habits.

‘I found out a lot of things I never thought possible in my marriage. But the camel’s back broke the day I saw him shaking hands with two of his friends with his left hand. I was born and bred in Ibadan and I know what that meant. They didn’t know I saw them and I pretended all was well, but after that I knew my marriage was in trouble. The children were in school most of the times, leaving me alone with the domestic staff. I was afraid to let my husband make love to me. What if he has incisions on his dick? I was afraid in my own bed, in my kitchen, everywhere. The only place I felt safe at was in my office.

‘Emeka started making strange demands that coincided with the few times we had sex. Right after, he would ask me for huge sums of money or to see my will or to be made Chairman of my company. If I refused, I fell ill, got hospitalized.’

Emem described a very evil pattern that left her without much choice but to step back.

‘I kept asking myself why it was only Lagos that I fell ill. Never in Abuja or Port-Harcourt.’

So, was Emeka trying to harm or even kill his wife to take over her wealth and business? Do men do it too? Of course, women adapt to things like that. We are witches, wealth grabbers, gold diggers who marry for money, trade sex for money, kill our husbands to inherit their wealth. Which is why there are more widows than widowers. Isn’t that the evil brush the society and little-minded people use to tag women? Or have you heard of widowers being subjected to head-shaving and drinking water used to bathe their wives’ corpses? Do you hear of widowers being thrown out of their homes so their late wives’ families could strip and pillage and generally make the widower miserable?

If you do not have at least 10 examples of husbands who are wizards or widowers as victims, begin to believe when I say men, still just a handful of them, do juju to inherit or to dispossess their wives. They connive and conjure. They charm and chant. They consult evil diviners to harm and disarm their wives so they can take over their wealth and lives. These few evil men put things on their tongues to command their wives to hand over their hard earned money or businesses to them. They blow ‘dark powder’ over their sleeping wives to turn her into ‘mumu’.

You don’t believe me? Well, may it never happen to your daughter. You think I’m exaggerating? Ask victims! And in any case would you still believe me if your sister has three cars but hops on okada to work so her husband could pick and choose which of the cars to drive to work and return to take which one to take to the club to hang out with his friends? Yet, he has no business address.

My point? Marriage does not just become life-threatening when a man starts slapping his wife around and beating her till she goes into premature labour. Marriage does not only become life-threatening when a husband verbally abuses his wife until she does not know whether she’s going or coming, lazy or hard working and loses herself, her self-esteem and self-confidence.

There is physical abuse, emotional abuse and spiritual abuse. The last one, if not acted upon quickly, is usually fatal and irreversible if the victim and her family realise it too late or explain it away with stuff like ‘juju is not real’. ‘juju is bullshit,’ and ‘I don’t believe in such rubbish’. This is a different clime, and as one of my friends, an ambassador’s wife would say, ‘our spiritual environment can be very toxic.’

Thinks about these things.

French political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu, in his seminal work, The Spirit of Laws, 1748, posited that the executive, legislative and judicial functions of government should be allocated to separate and independent bodies, with none of them superior or more powerful than the other; so, they can act as checks and balances on one another. In one word, they are co-terminus and equal in powers.

 John Locke had earlier argued that where legislative and executive powers belong to separate hands, then, the protection of all members of society can be as high as possible. This is what is called the principle or theory of separation of powers and its aim is to prevent too much power in one branch of government and allow for checks and balances.

 Remember that Lord Acton had said that “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority”

It is that “tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority” that is at the bottom of the constituency projects or padding of the 2024 budget that has ensnared the National Assembly. Constituency projects are an aberration; it is corruption of the functions and duties of the Legislature.

 Law makers have two functions: To make laws and to have oversight functions on the Executive; that is, to act as checks on the Executive. They are not to begin to hijack and exercise executive functions or powers. They are not to even share executive functions or powers with the Executive, in the same way the Executive is not supposed to dictate to the law makers as regards their legislative and oversight functions.

Our legislators have fished in trouble waters since the Fourth Republic. Like the angels who abandoned their estate in heaven to eat the forbidden fruit among the daughters of men, the National Assembly members who took money for constituency projects have abandoned their own duty post to hanker after filthy lucre. There is no argument that can wash them clean of corruption.

The argument that they want to ensure fair and equitable distribution of projects all over the country does not wash. Without becoming contractors, they can ensure equity before passing the budget. And from what we have seen, constituency projects are a huge scam and corruption personified. 

The constituencies seldom get value for money. Carcasses of constituency projects litter the landscape of Nigeria. The system employed is opaque and not transparent. Who determines what? Who handpicks the contractors? Who supervises? Who dispenses funds? Who ascertains that quality job is done? Who holds the law makers to account? Constituency projects are sleaze money, no more! 

Any law maker who defends constituency project is a thief, pure and simple. Those who collect hundreds of millions of Naira for constituency projects should not only desist but should also return the money so collected to the national coffers without delay!   

FEEDBACK

The rumour of coup d'etat is the hand work of those who thought they can prevent Tinubu from being the president. Perhaps, this is their last joker! Tinubu’s decision on removal of petroleum subsidy is the best. Waiting a minute later, he would not have been able to do it. What we need at this time is to cooperate with the president in rebuilding the country. The governors should come to terms with the reality that they have a great role to play in securing their respective state. - Kola Oloye.

No coup is coming up in Nigeria; the military is already as corrupt as the politicians. I think they enjoy sharing the national cake quietly without the burden of governability. Anyone planning a coup will be silenced within. What Nigerians need is re-orientation, to be truthful and to worship God in truth. Everyone cannot, and should not, own or build a house, for example. The quest for material things by everyone and the unnecessary outdoing of every other person in a negative competitive environment is what is adversely killing the country. - Dr. Demola Sodeinde.

Nigerians are optimistic that Nigeria will come out of the numerous difficulties and challenges created by ourselves. This recovery will only manifest when corruption and fraudulent activities by all of us are tackled headlong. The government should listen to the people, and their policies should have a human face. You will not expect the economy to grow when businesses are folding up and relocating to neighbouring countries. The struggle by the government to woo investors is a mirage because the cost of doing business in Nigeria is on the high side. Look at insecurity everywhere! The cost of diesel and PMS rises daily. What of electricity supply? Will investors bring in an enabling environment to do their business here in Nigeria? No! Some of the people in the leadership boat of Nigeria’s recovery have a record of "the good, the bad and the ugly." How will such people perform? The judiciary, all arms of government, must rise up to save the country from total collapse. Politicians who have failed Nigerians are not ready to quit the stage for genuine politicians to come on board. Some of the politicians who milked their state dry are still occupying various elective and appointive positions. Some of them are now law makers while others are to execute the policies of government. The judiciary has a big role to play in salvaging the economy. Politicians who have skeletons in their cupboards should not run to the judiciary to shield their evil. The judiciary should let erring politicians face the music. I am not an advocate of military take-over but let us ask ourselves what military rule vis-a-vis civilian rule has achieved in Nigeria. The military have ruled for much longer, their achievements towards national unity, economic emancipation, and security are glaring for all to see and judge. The military single-handedly built the federal capital territory and some notable infrastructure in Lagos. The civilian rule that we refer to as democracy is a demonstration of craze, according to one songs-writer (musician). The only achievement of civilian rule is the GSM. Considering the fact that some Nigerians who are highly-placed are not interested in the unity of the country, then, Prof. Banji Akintoye’s suggestion for a peaceful dissolution becomes sellable. The attitude of some Nigerians for self, region or tribe alone must change. There is strength in diversity, and on the unity of Nigeria I stand! - Dr. Eclarke.

Military rule is an aberration. 1966 to 1979: Thirteen years of uninterrupted military misrule. 1983 to 1999, another sixteen years of military misrule. 1999 to 2007 witnessed eight years of our Number One citizen being the military exchanging uniforms for “agbada”. Number 2 citizen was a controversial Customs officer and the Number 3, (Senate president) was also a retired military officer. Many of the senators and House of Representatives members were ex-military officers. 2007 to 2015 was a period of confusion when the elected president died in office and a cabal refused to allow the acting president to assume office as president. 2015 to 2023 witnessed another military man becoming the president of Nigeria. 29 years of straight military rule plus 16 years of military presidency, that's a whopping 45 years of military misrule in a young country like Nigeria, compared with just about 13 years of civil rule. The five years of the First Republic witnessed far-reaching development in some parts of the country. The long years of military misrule have done so much havoc to the development of this country. The way to go is not to bring in another military intervention. Let's allow the military perform the functions for which they are recruited and trained: to defend the territorial integrity of the nation! Pa EK Odeleye.

I do not support military dictatorship but, perhaps, it is needed to reset our country! - Azuka Jebose.

President Tinubu needs to focus on policies that safeguard the future of Nigeria from potential threats posed by the Fulani tribe. Given rotational presidency, power will eventually shift to the North after eight years. It is crucial to prevent a Fulani man from becoming the next president because that will definitely reverse every progressive policy being put in place now. The current government should prioritize policies that will empower the Hausa community and liberate them from Fulani dominance. We need to ensure that when power rotates back to the North, it goes to a Hausa president, not a Fulani. History has shown that Fulani-led governments tend to hinder Nigeria's progress and even damage its economy, as seen in past administrations. We must learn from these experiences and enact measures to break free from Fulani hegemony, allowing Nigeria to thrive and ensuring a brighter future for the nation. If we can achieve this, then, the battle for the progress of Nigeria is half-won. - Idowu Faleye.

If we are not to play any ostrich and deceive ourselves, the best that should happen now is military termination of the current democracy because the governance Nigerians have got from the political actors since 1999 has been mediocre and punitive. We have only always bred a new band of thieves in governance that are increasingly decapitating the life of ordinary Nigerians through rapacious stealing of state resources and intolerable inflation on the honest labour of the average Nigerian. A military government will clear all the imbeciles murdering Nigerians and kidnapping for money on a daily basis, set up a new constituent assembly to redraft the Constitution and adopt a new model of government recommended by the assembly before the country returns again to elections. This is the desirable break that the country needs. Nigerians have justifiably lost interest in these thieving politicians. They are crooks basically and a crooked man or gang cannot lead any nation anywhere other than Armageddon. - Bashiru Wahhab.

May God give us good leaders! - Gbenga Osinaike.

It has always been said that the worst civilian regime is better than the best military administration. But then, the question is: Are we actually having true civilian rule in Nigeria based on free and fair elections? This is because there is no true democracy in Nigeria. What we are having is riggo-cracy. That is, most of the elections in Nigeria that would have brought about true democracy have been based on election rigging. Therefore, any civilian rule derived through the rigging of election should be seen as an aberration, just like a military coup. The civilians who found themselves in office through election manipulation should be treated as 'civilian coup plotters'. I quite disagree that past military regimes have not contributed to the economic growth of Nigeria. Many of Nigeria’s major roads, especially, rural-urban roads, were built by past military regimes. Bad governance would always invite military rule. - Dr. JF Olukotun.

 Former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, BOLAWOLE was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of THE WESTERNER newsmagazine. He writes the ON THE LORD'S DAY column in the Sunday Tribune and TREASURES column in New Telegraph newspaper on Wednesdays. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.

OMoyele Sowore Says no regrets over ‘Revolution Now’

Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 General Election, Omoyele Sowore, has said he has no regrets embarking on his aborted protest tagged ‘Revolution Now’ which led to his incarceration by the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In this interview with Saturday Sun, the Publisher of Saharareporters, an online news platform, however said the movement started too late and wished it happened earlier. 

Sowore, who returned to his base in the United States last week after spending close to five years in Nigeria, further said he was happy that he enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime privilege to act amongst change agents in his lifetime, especially in a country seeking courageous and upright men and women to change its course of history. Amongst other issues, Sowore dwelt on the recent move by the Federal Government to implement the Steve Oronsaye Report and concluded that the report is a distraction at this material time. He spoke with AIDOGHIE PAULINUS.

How would you describe your ordeal in the hands of the Federal Government?

I have reached a point in life when I do not romanticise the fact that the system comes after people in my mould and character. I have a revolutionary spirit; it is a package that attracts severe reactions from cowards in power. So, my five-year ordeal is not extremely difficult to understand or explain. In a way, I am one of the lucky few. In the last nine years, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party has made Nigeria hell on earth for Nigerians.

Do you regret embarking on that voyage to incarceration known as Revolution Now?

Absolutely no regrets. I am happy that I enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime privilege to act amongst change agents in my lifetime, especially in a country seeking courageous and upright men and women to change its course of history.

During your ordeal, some said it served you right because you helped the Muhammadu Buhari administration to power. What is your take on this?

It is needless to address those who make such uninformed and outlandish claims. First, there is no truth or substance to it, except it serves those who have done a duty to self-perpetuate a narrative they knew to be false. Ask yourself if the majority of those who were massacred in the South-East through several criminal operations by the Nigerian Army ever supported Buhari’s elections.

Looking back, what would you have done differently regarding Revolution Now regarding the strategy you employed?

We started too late. I wish we had started earlier because Revolution Now emboldened a generation of youths that realized their potent powers to change the course of history. I hate to be self-serving, but I doubt that #ENDSARS would have happened had Revolutionnow not shown to a new generation of youths that they could fight power. 

You were in Nigeria for five years, unable to return to the United States where your family resides. What did you miss most during the five years?

Oh, I missed the solid growth of my kids. I left them both when they were practically toddlers, and I returned to them five years later to meet “adults.” They had grown into a world I am now trying to navigate. My daughter read a poem during my homecoming last Saturday; she was deeply introspective, and she captured my departure and returned in ways I never thought she could.

How would you quantify your financial loss during the period?

It wasn’t about finance; my losses were beyond economic, and it is also fair to say it was a massive economic loss too.

While in Nigeria, you lost loved ones, particularly your brother. How would you describe those moments?

That was a testy moment! I can’t describe it, it was very hard to get over it, and I doubt I will ever get over his death.

Nigeria is experiencing turbulent times. What plans do the civil society organizations in which you have played active roles have to lift Nigeria out of the woods?

I don’t see the solution as something civil society could resolve. By their very nature, “civil society groups” have low bandwidth. They are not social movements, and they are also “limited liability” groups that are largely risk averse. Nigeria’s problems have reached beyond what could be solved by or with civil society activism. 

Based on your political participation experience, will you contest the 2027 presidential election?

I have always stated that my political career is never tied to election cycles. 

What is your opinion about the planned implementation of the Oronsaye Report? Is it too late?

Orosanye’s report is a distraction at this time. 

Tinubu has spoken in favour of state police. Is restructuring gradually being achieved?

No, Tinubu doesn’t even believe in policing in the first place. He’s a lover, sponsor, and supporter of criminal and violent non-state actors. The gimmick he’s putting out about state police is to empower such actors, lawless and brutal non-state actors.

What are your thoughts about the planned constitutional amendment?

How many times could a constitution be amended? There is no way an illegitimate “Constitution” thrown at Nigerians by the military could be amended. The amendment of the Nigerian constitution since 1999 has become a drain pipe on Nigeria’s resources.

A crisis is looming in the National Assembly over alleged N3 trillion budget padding. Your opinion, please?

Nigeria must abolish the bicameral legislative system and engage part-time lawmakers to make laws. The Nigerian Senate is the retirement home of looters and criminals, mostly former state governors.

What message of hope do you have for your fellow compatriots whom you have left behind to return to the United States?

I will be back!

Gunmen suspected to be soldiers on Friday abducted the Editor of FirstNews and former Kaduna Bureau Chief of The PUNCH, Segun Olatunji.

He was picked at his home in the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State.

The management of the online Newspaper linked the action to a recent story published by FirstNews titled, "Revealed: "Defence Chief running office like family business - Public Interest Lawyers", published by many other online platforms.

But the management also linked his abduction to another report titled, "EXCLUSIVE: How contractor, company stole N100bn, laundered funds for top govt officials - Investigation", which was later pulled down.

The arrest has thrown panic among staff of the Newspaper.

His wife, Abiodun Olatunji, said the armed men numbering ten arrived at their residence, a few minutes after 6pm and whisked her husband away without leaving any information behind as to where they were taking him to. 

She said her husband's abductors reached for his phone and seized it immediately they arrived before bundling him into a van like a common criminal and zoomed off.

While further narrating the incident, she said efforts to know his offence or where they were taken him to were rebuffed by the stern-looking men. 

"Some armed men dressed in military uniform totaling ten in number (two in uniform and the remaining 8 in mufti but all armed) arrived at our residence at Dauda Oriyomi street, Iyana Odo along Joke Ayo in Abule Egba area of Lagos State and took away my husband.

"They refused to state his offence and where they were taken him to despite all the efforts to make them do so", she said. 

The Publisher of FirstNews, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who also confirmed the incident, said there has been no trace of Olatunji, as his phone line has been switched, neither has anyone reached the family or the management of FirstNews to disclose the real reason behind his abduction.

While condemning the way and manner Olatunji was whisked away, Iworiso-Markson stated that he was never invited formally to answer any issue that bothered on national security.

"The management of FirstNews is using this opportunity to call on the military high command and the security agencies to let us know his whereabout and the reason why he was arrested. 

"FirstNews (online & print) is a reputable independent digital news network that prides itself on being a frontline media outfit committed to engaging her world-class audience with factual, authentic, and credible information.

"We conduct our journalism activities with strict observance of the high standards of ethics, accountability, professionalism and legality, while exercising our rights to freedom of expression and information, all in a bid to ensure credible reporting of the news behind the news in Politics, Business, Education, Sport, Health, Entertainment and many more.

"If there was any infraction that bothers on national security, Olatunji should have first been formally invited rather that this gestapo style of arrest that reminds of the dark days of the military era, where press freedom was stifled". 

Just as it is no more news that President Bola Tinubu recently asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Ruby Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), it is surprising news that he has stepped down her nomination as a member of the apex bank.

It will be recalled that the president’s request for her nomination was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio, and read at plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.

In the letter, according to a NAN, the president said the confirmation request complied with provisions of Section 10 (1) of the CBN Establishment Act 2007.

“I am pleased to present for confirmation by the senate, the appointment of Dr Ruby Onwudiwe as a member of the CBN board of directors,” Tinubu said.

“The Senate is invited to kindly note that Onwudiwe is a replacement for Mr. Kalu Eke, due to the unavailability of Eke for the position.

“It is my hope, therefore, that the senate will consider and confirm in its usual expeditious manner, the appointment of Onwudiwe.

“Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”

The new nomination comes one month after Tinubu asked the senate to confirm five people as directors of the board of the CBN.

The directors of the board are; Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, Urom Eke, and Olayinka Aliyu.

On February 29, the senate confirmed four people as members of the board of the CBN after a nominee from the south-eastern region rejected the offer, citing a “conflict of interest”.

However, it was gathered that immediately after the news of her nomination was public, a screenshot of her social media surfaced where she flaunted her support for the Labour Party (LP) and its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi in the last election and a display of the result of the presidential election at a polling unit in Lekki part of Lagos where the LP candidate won.

The screenshot riled up All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters who protested strongly to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank.

No Nigerian is praying for the failure of the apex bank, and the federal government. It is the most important point to keep in mind as one follows the comments being made in reaction to the withdrawal of Onwudiwe’s nomination on the board of the apex bank.

According to Journalist KC whose X handle is @kc_journalist in a post he rated to be breaking news in the wee hour of today, March 14, 2024, “President Tinubu withdraws Ruby Onwudiwe’s nomination as CBN Board member after receiving complaints from top APC members over Ruby’s support for Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, per WesternPost

“Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Solomon Adeola pointed out the impropriety of the nomination to President Tinubu last night during his meeting with Senate President Akpabio and other senators.

“Some top APC supporters had earlier protested strongly to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank after the news of her nomination.

“Tinubu is now expected to announce a new nominee from the South East”.

In his reaction to the post on X, Olumide Adesina@olumidecapital commented, “This is highly unfortunate, to say the least, such a position should be based on merit and not by political affiliation”

In a different comment, Adesina reacted, “The President is the leader of the country not just a ruling party. The financial industry should be handled with professionalism”

Another commentator on the popular social media platform, Ola’Lekan @theolamilekan commented, “She’s not the only person that can merit that position from SE. She will leak confidential documents if she’s hired. She’s Obidient blood and she doesn’t hide it. More so, election has consequences and this is one of them.”

However, while this writer is opposed to patronage appointment which is unarguably becoming the hallmark of the ongoing Tinubu-led government, it is salient to recall that a contest for superiority between patronage and merit has been an unresolved issue since 1999 when Nigeria transitioned to a democratic system of government.

Without any iota of exaggeration, this battle for supremacy arises from the fact that political connectedness, ethnic fantasy, religious identity, party affiliation, and other primordial considerations have become dominant criteria in determining who should be given political appointments in every passing political dispensation.

In many nations, the head of state is nonpartisan, even if the prime minister and parliament are chosen in partisan elections. Such heads of state are expected to remain neutral with regard to partisan politics. In a number of parliamentary or semi-presidential countries, some presidents are non-partisan or receive cross-party support.

From the onset, being in government has been viewed as an opportunity to empower one’s people over others with devastating consequences. In my view, given the parlous state of the economy at the moment, there is an urgent need to eschew patronage appointments and tap from the pool of human resources that can equally be found in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and other political parties as all the talents Tinubu needs to succeed cannot be exclusively be found in the APC.

Those who say “any publicity is good publicity” might not be so right after all. In fact, I think they are wrong. At least they might have been right in the past, but not anymore, not in this era of empathy and “life on stage” where everyone now has a platform to air their views, where most like to be liked and followed and where many, regardless of depth, can actually influence the views and choices of others. There is a brand and a company that I think will agree with me that not any publicity is good publicity because of what they are going through. 

The company is Erisco Food Limited, makers of tomato paste and other food products, led by Chief Eric Umeofia. 

It is easy to see the link between the name Eric and Erisco. One can wish for anything good or bad, but I doubt that anyone from the founder of Erisco Food and all his well-wishers as well as his enemies could have imagined let alone wished for or against making the list of Amnesty International’s concern. Yet, that is what recently happened. How did Eric and Erisco go from tomato paste to social media trouble and amnesty list lies in the link between Eric and Erisco. Let us be clear: Chioma infuriated Eric, but it was Eric that made Chioma famous and took Erisco to amnesty. 

Here are some context and chronicles of salient events for all. 

In the middle of the month of September 2023, a relatively unknown social media user with the name Chioma Egoji, published a comment on her Facebook page, saying: “I went to buy tin tomatoes yesterday that I will use to make stew. I didn’t see Gino and Sonia. So, I decided to buy this one. When I opened it, I decided to taste it. Omo! Sugar was just too much. Ha, biko, let me know if you have used this tin tomato before because this is an Ike gwuru situation.” 

It is worth noting here that Mrs. Chioma Egoji was till that moment just one lady trying to make stew and whose purpose of commenting was to get other social media users and comments. The more the merrier. It is a new but common practice. There was a time when people kept their reflections and experience private. That era is gone. In the new world, private is dead. People wear their hearts on their sleeves. 

The reaction of Erisco Food to this comment was to call the police and get Chioma Egoji arrested. The police promptly swung into action and not only arrested this woman who dared make negative comments about the tomatoes she bought with her own money, the Nigerian Police Force also issued a high-profile public statement on the matter, making the NPF look like the Nigerian Paste Force. 

To the Erisco Food team, the comments made by Chioma Egoji was an attempt to damage their brand and company and they felt the need to fight back. The apex of the fight was the direct intervention of Chief Eric Umeofia himself, who went on national TV to say he is willing to let his business die rather than give an inch to Chioma Egoji. 

Against their intentions, the first consequence of the reaction of Erisco Food was to make Chioma Egoji popular. People are even calling her a reviewer. I wonder if she appreciates that. The popularity of Chioma Egoji and the stances of the Eric in Erisco have made people of different geopolitical colourations to stand with Chioma Egoji and to start a campaign to boycott Erisco food products. We have not seen their sale reports yet but from the number of people talking negatively about their company and brand, things cannot be good. 

No need to pretend, readers of this page will know that I have a high propensity towards defending private businesses and entrepreneurs. Our bias for the corporate component of our society is very simple to understand: we believe businesses and the entrepreneurs bring to the table creation of job and wealth based on competence, innovation, creativity, knowledge of and deference to consumers. Faced with the kind of situation Erisco is going through due to this Chioma business, one is inclined to say let us find a way to save the business from boycott and save Chioma’s dignity and safety. 

We must however be clear, the first party to err was Erisco Food. Their first sin was to ignore the golden rule that says “customer is king” in business. Customers are referred to as king not because they are always right, but because they should never be fought. Erisco Food had many professional choices. They could have ignored Chioma, engaged her in a positive way, proved her wrong, or get people to endorse the quality of their products. 

Instead, they chose the risky path of an ego driven position that feels threatened and insulted. Erisco Food chose to make heard not the deliberated voice of a business that has responsibilities of employing hundreds of staff and catering to thousands of customers but the voice of a proud stubborn man who feels that because he has worked hard and has achieved a lot he should therefore not be questioned. Things don’t work that way as he is learning and as others should be cautioned. 

With the position of Eric in Erisco, we are on a risky path where all is personal and nerves are frayed. All these with a national audience recording and applauding every statement and move. It will take more than a lot to get common sense back and for reconciliation to prevail. This is a test for Chief Eric Umeofia to see if he has friends who have the resolve to say “Erisco must be saved even against Eric” and that can tell him the truth and stand by him as he retraces his steps from risky to safety. 

Join me if you can on X: @anthonykila, to continue these conversations. 

. Kila is the Institute Director at CIAPS and can be reached via: www.ciaps.org.

The Citadel Global Community Church’s Serving Overseer, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said some Nigerians are being forced to rob warehouses in order to avoid going to bed hungry due to the country’s economic hardships.

In his keynote speech on Friday at the 70th birthday celebration of Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili, the husband of the former minister of education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Bakare blamed corruption and poor governance for the current state of the economy.

In the past two weeks, there have been numerous complaints of some Nigerians breaking into warehouses and taking food and other valuables.

Naija News reports that the preacher cautioned that no single institution can eradicate corruption from a nation, adding that Nigerians should not expect the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft institutions to act in isolation.

Bakare said, “Somewhere in the equation, something has to be done, whether in the homes that produce the fabrics or even in the institution of states that have failed to liquidate this criminal enterprise and facilitate alternative pathways for young people; somewhere in the societal equation where corruption and bad governance are crippling the economy, leaving no fewer than 133 million Nigerians in multidimensional poverty and 26.5 million in acute hunger across the country.

“With families going to bed hungry, a citizen is forced to take to the streets and to loot warehouses in their quest for survival. It means somebody has failed in his duty. In other words, somewhere in the governance equation is where we have the real issue. The good news however is that man has the capacity to reverse the situations. With the help of his Creator, man is himself a creator with the ability to recreate his world.

“This is a mission and purpose of every man. No citizen deserves to sleep under the bridge in a nation that has government. Until the righteous people are appointed into office, we are wasting time. There is only one antidote to fight corruption. EFCC and ICPC cannot fight it alone. Anybody that sits on the committee to investigate corruption who is corrupt himself can’t fight corruption in Nigeria.”

[NaijaNews]

“There are many qualified Nigerian coaches who could successfully lead the national team”

Segun Odegbami, a former Nigerian international football player and hero of the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has opined that the new coach of the Nigerian national team should be a home-based coach. Following the departure of Jose Peseiro, who led the team to the AFCON finals in Ivory Coast, Odegbami, 70, believes local coaches have the potential to better lead the Super Eagles.

The Super Eagles legend and former player, who played for Nigeria between 1976 and 1981, stressed that there are many qualified Nigerian coaches who could successfully lead the national team. He urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to focus on local talents in the selection of a new coach.

Odegbami, who was part of the Super Eagles team that won the AFCON in 1980, opposed the idea that only a foreign coach can bring success. He maintains that football is not a complicated discipline and there are enough qualified Nigerians who could successfully lead the national team.

It is time for a Nigerian coach to take over the leadership of the team

Who will be the next coach? Will it be a Nigerian or a coach from abroad? betting sites with free bets are thus very unconventionally accepting bets on who will be the next coach of the Nigerian national team. Lately, football fans started betting using a netbet promo code – however, they are not betting on football results but on possible coaches. They also use the Bet888 promo code: https://promocodius.co.uk/shops/888sport to submit their tips.

According to the Super Eagles legend, there is no need to suffer from the colonial mentality that prefers foreign coaches and believes it is time for a Nigerian coach to take over the leadership of the team. Odegbami feels the move could help to forge a strong relationship between the national team and the local coaches.

“Football is not a rocket science, but a simple game, we have lots of Nigerians who have all the qualifications to take us to any level“, he said, and added that: “For me, I won’t suffer from colonial mentality again and enough of foreign coaches, now, it’s time for a Nigerian Coach to handle our national team.”

Jose Peseiro, who led the Super Eagles at the recent AFCON 2024, earned mixed reactions. Although the team achieved second place, Odegbami says Peseiro’s work was mediocre and not worthy of all the honors and rewards he received for that placement.

Meanwhile, the situation surrounding the selection of a new Super Eagles coach remains uncertain. Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen could take over the team on an interim basis until a proper coach is appointed. Odegbami believes the new leader of the team should be a Nigerian coach who can lead the Super Eagles to victory and strengthen their position on the African scene.

[Leadership]

Days after the reopening of the Nigeria-Niger Republic land and air borders by the Federal Government of Nigeria, Nigerien authorities have not said anything, even as they maintained their entry points closed.

Nigeria announced the reopening of its borders with Niger Republic on March 13, 2024.

While security operatives like the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have eased movement along border communities, their counterparts across the borders have remained adamant.

This is as residents of border communities, especially on the Nigerian side, on Thursday expressed optimism that with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reopen the borders with Niger Republic, life would be easier for them and their neighbours, especially in terms of trading.

President Tinubu’s directive was in line with the decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS’) Authority of Heads of State and Government at its Extraordinary Summit on February 24, 2024 in Abuja.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Kemi Nandap, had in a follow-up to what Tinubu said, directed that restrictions on movement at Nigeria-Niger borders be lifted.

Nandap gave the directive through a statement signed by the acting Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Kenneth Kure on Thursday in Abuja.

She directed all comptrollers stationed at states and border commands along the Nigeria-Niger Republic border to comply promptly and lift all restrictions on human movement.

The border closure was part of sanctions to restore democratic order after the military intervention in Niger that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The two countries heavily relied on each for economic and social activities, among others.

The Niger–Nigeria border is 1,608 kilometres, stretching from Sokoto through Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno states.

After the reopening of the land borders, our correspondents in the affected states monitored the situation around the boundary areas. Their investigations revealed that on the Nigerian side the borders have been reopened in majority of the areas, but it is a different story on the Nigerien side.

Residents who spoke with our correspondents said if the two neighbouring countries reached a common ground, it would be mutually beneficial as it would revive economic activities in the border communities.

Long way to go in Katsina

In Katsina State, residents of the border town of Kongolam, which is less than 20 kilometres from Daura, said security forces on the Niger Republic side blocked their own part.

Lawan Secretary, who spoke to our correspondent said, “Shortly after we spoke with you about the border reopening on the Nigerian side, the Nigerien police brought three of their operational vehicles and blocked the pathway, using stones and sand.

“They told our people who were about to cross that they should go back as the border had not been reopened on their side,” he said.

Secretary, who said he was not happy with the development, added that whatever the situation was, there was the need for understanding between Nigeria and Niger.

“Just remember that it is not only about business transactions, we have marital ties with the people of Niger.

“Also, remember that our people have been importing and exporting certain commodities with extreme difficulty through illegal entry points, spending a lot of money to find their way.

“That alone has helped in raising the cost of commodities because whatever you spent along the way must be reflected in the selling price,” he said.

Corroborating the earlier response, Alhaji Lawal Planner Kongolam, said the road that leads to Niger Republic was blocked by the Nigerien police, cutting short the happiness of affected persons on both sides.

He said the items mostly traded across the borders in their axis included dates, soap and other confectionary products, as well as grains and cattle. He added that with the high rate of foreign exchange with regard to the CFA, cattle had become more expensive.

He, however, expressed confidence that if there would be mutual understanding between the Nigerian and the Nigerien authorities, there would be gradual return of trading activities; and hopefully, the exchange rate of the CFA would come down.

At Jibia town, also in Katsina State, residents were in a joyous mood, saying their lifeline would soon be restored.

Al-Mustapha Danye said many people were forced out of business as they had eaten up their capital, but with the latest development, there was hope for a new life.

“Our markets used to be frequented by traders from neighbouring communities from Niger Republic. On our part, we used to import farm produce, such as tiger nuts, dates and beans.

“We also have other commodities that pass through Niger on transit from Cotonou. We believe that if normalcy returns, prices of these commodities would crash and life would be easier for us,” he said.

Haidar Lamama, a trader and resident of Magama in Jibia, said the border there had been opened by both Customs and Immigration officers on the Nigerian side.

He expressed optimism that prices of all commodities would fall and life would become easier for the people of the area and the country in general.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service, Katsina Area Command, T. Y Balarabe, said the border in Jibia was reopened following the president’s directive.

Niger border at Maigatari still closed

Our correspondent reports that the Maigatari border in Jigawa State was reopened on Thursday at exactly 6am, according to high-ranking security officials in charge of the area. However, the Niger Republic’s security operatives have kept theirs closed.

“They have refused to open theirs, but they are not asking anybody not to cross over into their land by foot.

“All items that are legally allowed will now be transported through the border following the right channels. But items that are banned remain banned. Things like beans, if you pay duty you would be allowed to bring it into Nigeria,” one of the officials who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak said.

On their part, residents of Maigatari and environs have expressed hope that once the borders on both sides are fully opened, the development would yield positive results.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the representative of the district head of Maigatari, Yakubu Aminu Wakili said, “We thank God that the border has been opened, and as directed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, all seized items have been returned to us.

“We now move freely but without cars. But from Niger Republic side, they are yet to open their border. It is still manned by security operatives.

“We cannot say anything on the reason they are yet to reopen the borders because we also just opened ours. But we are hopeful that they would reopen theirs.

“For business activities, we are still where we were since the border was closed. The changes are still minimal but we are optimistic that everything will come back to flourish like before.”

Nigeria/Niger borders in Kebbi still shut

Similarly, despite the presidential directive that the borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic be reopened, the international borders in Kebbi State are still shut on both sides as at Thursday, March 14, 2024, which was 24 hours after the directive by President Tinubu.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that the borders at Kamba, Kangiwa and Bachaka in the state were yet to be opened despite the directive.

A resident of Kamba, Musa Hussein, told our correspondent that the border was still shut and its environs isolated for months.

He said, “They are yet to open the borders. I was there this afternoon. What the Customs at the border told us was that they were yet to receive a memo to open the borders.”

Our sources at Customs and Immigration commands in Kebbi State said some top officers of the two services were summoned to Abuja for further briefing on the border issue.

Sokoto’s Illela border communities laud FG

Residents of Illela town in Sokoto State have expressed happiness over the reopening of the Nigeria-Niger borders, recounting that life was unbearable while the sanctions lasted.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that majority of the residents of border communities were into one form of cross-border trade or another before the closure.

A community leader, Alhaji Musa Sarkin Alaru, said the announcement of the reopening brought relief to many residents.

Recounting their ordeal after the closure, he said 70 per cent of their youths were rendered jobless and had left to other places for greener pastures.

“But I am sure they will all come back now that the border is reopened and continue with their trans-border trades,” he said.

The chairman of the Marketers Association in Sokoto State, Chika Sarkin Gishiri, also expressed optimism that the border reopening would lead to crash in prices of some imported commodities in the country, saying there were many goods meant for Nigeria, which could not come into the country because of the closure.

But one of the livestock traders in the state, Murtala Arkilla, wondered if the reopening could lead to crash in the prices of livestock.

Sokoto receives most of its livestock from the neighbouring Niger Republic.

A security agent at the border post, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said all the security agencies there had complied with the directive of the federal government.

“The border is now open for human and vehicular movement,” he said.

During the official reopening, the area comptroller in charge of Sokoto and Zamfara command, Kamal Muhammed, charged security agencies at the border station to collaborate with one another in the area of trade facilitation, information and intelligence sharing for safe, efficient and effective service delivery at the border.

He further commended Customs licenced agents and the Illela community for their patience and cooperation during the seven-month border closure.

Border reopening won’t change anything – Borno, Yobe traders

In Yobe State, Adamu Kanamma, a trader who crosses to Niger through Maino-Sorroa border in Yunusari Local Government Area, said reopening the border would not change anything.

“We maintained the good relationship we had with the people of Niger even after the border closure, but a lot of things happened within that period.

“To say that the price of food items coming into Nigeria from Niger will drop is not possible unless the value of CFA franc crashes to N1,500 or less because, as at yesterday (March 13, 2024), it was N2, 570 equivalent.

“We are now buying a bag of foreign rice at N73,000 from Niger, so how much can we sell it in the Nigerian market?” he asked.

Another transporter from Machina town, also in Yobe, said the number of people passing through the border had not increased yet.

“It is like Nigeriens have become used to the sanctions, they no longer come into Nigeria like before. It is our traders that are taking the goods to them. Also, we face a lot of strictness in dealing with authorities in Diffa, Maino-Sorroa and Maradi, all in Niger,” he said.

A fish trader, Labbo Mustapha, said Nigeriens were demanding taxes from Nigerians more than before.

“You will not sell fish in their country, and you must pay tax for passing through their country from the Lake Chad.

“One of the disturbing situations is that they don’t collect naira and will not give you CFA franc. But they will pay on whatever transaction you do with naira. They have succeeded in making their currency a scarce commodity,” he said.

 Laws governing imports, exports subsist – Customs

The national public relations officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, while explaining the modalities of the border reopening, said there were laws governing imports and exports, which are still in force.

He said, “All imports and exports are in tandem with the extant fiscal policies of the government. We have a fiscal policy that places restriction of certain items through some specific ports. They remain extant until we have counter directives.”

Maiwada added that there were subsisting regulations Customs were also adhering to as stipulated by ECOWAS.

According to Customs’ Export Prohibition List, maize, timber (rough and sawn), raw hides and skin, scrap metals, unprocessed rubber lumps, among others, would not be exported.

Among the items that would not be imported are live and dead birds, pork meat, beef, bird eggs, refined vegetable oil, spaghetti/noodles, fruit juice, some medicaments, such as Paracemol, sex enhancement drugs, bagged cement, mosquito coil, soap and detergent, among others.

[DailyTrust]