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A mother’s unending search for daughter Sophia: 11 years of questions, hope and heartbreak

This year October 28 ,fell on a Wednesday. ‘So what?’ you might think, dear reader. For us, a Dutch family in Amsterdam, this date marks the beginning of the ultimate nightmare: a missing child. On this date in 2015, also a Wednesday, our beloved Sophia disappeared in Murchison Falls National Park. Another year has gone by. Another year, filled with pain and despair. Another year without answers and the daily confrontation with her absence. No child is as present as a missing child.

I vividly remember how we took her to the airport, with her new backpack and new hiking shoes. Never could I have imagined that I would see one of those shoes lying along the Nile riverbank, surrounded by other odd items belonging to Sophia. But that is what happened. [Editor’s note: the writer prefers to talk about her daughter in present tense because of the weight this carries in her heart].

The firstborn and only daughter, Sophia is a bright and gifted child, blest with musical and artistic talent. After finishing secondary school, she decides to become a doctor. Passing all exams effortlessly with good grades, she acquires her Bachelor’s degree in Medicine in the early summer of 2015. She is 21 years old and decides to take a gap year before continuing with her masters in Medicine.

Sophia arrives in Uganda late August for an eight-week internship in Lubaga hospital in Kampala. She is quickly taken by the country and its people, as is clear from her elaborate weekly reports we receive. She enjoys her work in the hospital, especially the maternity ward, and gets on very well with her local colleagues. One of them, a midwife, told me how eager Sophia was to learn new things, how fast she picked things up, her desire to be useful, and willingness to help with everything. On her last day in hospital, Sophia writes: ‘I am really sorry my stay here is over. All the people in the hospital are so sweet. I will truly miss them and hope to be back one day. Who knows, as a doctor of Tropical Medicine?’

Her stay in Uganda is to be concluded with a two-week trip through the country, with two Dutch fellow students and a Ugandan driver/guide. They leave Kampala on October 23.

On the sixth day of her journey, October 28, Sophia disappears, around 6.30pm, very soon after arriving at the student centre in Paraa in the national park. It is a very low-budget accommodation, owned and run by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), mainly used for their employees. A place not really fit for tourists, no security to speak of. Companions and the tour guide were aware that Sophia was not well. The guide should never have taken her there.

The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are unclear. The initial investigation left a great deal to be desired and police quickly jumped to the conclusion, without evidence, that it must have been a fatal accident. End of story. Convenient too. However, for us it is not that simple, certainly not for a mother who, from the beginning, has a strong feeling that something is wrong, that there is more than meets the eye.

The insecurity about her fate, the fight between hope and despair, has dominated our lives ever since. As former Minister of Internal Affairs, Jeje Odongo, concluded when I met him a few years later: ‘It is clear to me that this case has not been taken seriously and has been kept at a local level far too long’.

When I first travelled to Uganda, I was looking forward to being acquainted with a new country, but most of all, to see my daughter in a white coat, working in a Kampala hospital. Two weeks after my arrival the trip turned into an unimaginable nightmare and I left Uganda a broken mother. Since then, I have travelled back 27 times. Those journeys have not been easy and have taken a toll on our lives in many ways; mentally, physically and financially. I have tracked down witnesses, written articles, done interviews, spoken with many people and kept lobbying for more investigations, hoping answers would be found for the many, many questions we have. A life surrounded by question marks is not a peaceful life.

A few new investigations were started since that dark day in October 2015. Some never took off, due to various reasons, such as insufficient funding. Another was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic that took over the world in 2020, and remained unfinished. Several private investigators proved to be disappointing. Not to mention the number of people who claimed to know Sophia’s whereabouts, clearly only intent to monetise our tragedy. I also recall a year when meeting a new CID deputy director on each consecutive trip, four in total. Moreover, every time telling Sophia’s story anew. In the spring of 2022 another investigation was started. Despite sharing a trove of useful information, my request to be involved was met with silence. However, I was promised a report after three months. Those three months turned into 18 months and the report produced more questions than answers. I wrote a substantiated review, which received no response.

Another year passed and I had the opportunity to speak with the President. I expressed my sincere disappointment and frustration with the lack of real progress. H.E offered help and introduced me to a member of his staff. Unfortunately, this person left State House and I was again left with empty hands. All I know is that there is another report, somewhere.

Dealing with a missing child is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Psychologists worldwide speak of ‘ambiguous loss’, a loss that is unclear and uncertain. It is seen as the hardest and most complicated form of grief. It is ongoing; there is no closure or resolution.

We still go by ‘when nothing is sure, everything is possible’ and I am a staunch believer in miracles. They do happen. In the meantime, there is no other option than to keep fighting to find out what happened to our smart, kind-hearted and beautiful Sophia and work hard to make sure she is not forgotten. We miss her so very, very much.

US court rejects discovery bid against Tinubu DCI Group in FOIA suit

A United States federal court has rejected an attempt to obtain discovery from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and DCI Group in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia in a ruling delivered on Friday October 30 2026 denied a motion filed by Aaron Greenspan seeking limited discovery from the Nigerian President and DCI Group over alleged cyberattacks on his website.

The development was disclosed in a statement posted by Bayo Onanuga the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy on his verified X handle @aonanuga1956.

According to the statement the court held that the proposed discovery was not sufficiently relevant to the substantive issues in the FOIA litigation involving the two American federal law enforcement agencies.

The ruling effectively rejected Greenspan’s attempt to introduce the alleged cyberattacks into the proceedings limiting consideration to matters directly connected to the underlying information-disclosure dispute.

Onanuga’s post also said the court rejected Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment along with other applications connected to the litigation.

It specifically denied a separate application by Karl Von Batten a non-party to the proceedings seeking permission to submit an ‘amicus curiae’ or friend-of-the-court brief.

Greenspan’s related request for judicial notice was equally denied.

In response attorney Christopher W. Carmichael described the ruling as a reaffirmation of the legal boundaries governing FOIA proceedings.

‘The Court’s decision makes clear that this Freedom of Information Act proceeding cannot be used to pursue discovery unrelated to the legal questions before it.

‘By denying the request for discovery against President Tinubu and DCI Group the Court reinforced the importance of keeping this litigation focused on the issues properly before it’ Carmichael said.

Another attorney Oluwole Afolabi said the decisions had established important procedural limits on the scope of the litigation.

‘The Court also denied the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and rejected a separate request to introduce an amicus brief.

‘While the underlying FOIA issues remain before the Court these rulings establish important procedural boundaries and clarify which matters are appropriate for consideration in this litigation’ Afolabi said.

Guizhou: High speed trains and ancient cultures

BY day three of our trip to Guizhou in China, I had caught up on enough sleep to appreciate traveling at 266 kilometres per hour.

After two nights at Guizhou Park Hotel, we were heading to Zhaoxing by high-speed train to Congjiang. Yesterday’s bridge had shown us how Guizhou connected its valleys; now came the railway.

My jaw dropped when we arrived at Guiyang North Railway Station. We were catching a train, but the building felt more like an airport-and, to my eyes, a more impressive one than the terminal we had left in Manila.

Perhaps I had brought the wrong expectations. Back home we only have the MRT and LRT, with just the concourse platforms and ticketing booths. Only those few connected to malls were more than just stations.

Guiyang North was a major departure point in its own right, with a scale that made me stop and look around. Hopefully, our subway stations will at least be good-if and when they finally open.

Guiyang North opened in 2014, alongside the Guiyang-Guangzhou high-speed railway, Guizhou’s first high-speed rail line. What looked relatively new to me had already been serving passengers for more than a decade. The station has 15 platforms and 32 tracks, serving a network that includes routes toward Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming, Chongqing and Chengdu. It also connects with Guiyang’s urban transport system, allowing passengers to continue their journeys beyond the railway station.

Our itinerary listed train D1857, departing Guiyang North at 10:05 am. In about an hour and 39 minutes, we would reach Congjiang, where a road transfer would take us onward to Zhaoxing. I kept thinking about how much easier it would be to visit places beyond Manila if we had dependable rail connections like this. Yes, we had the PNR system but that was decades ago and just part of history. A shorter journey could mean an extra afternoon at the destination, rather than another stretch of the holiday spent on the road.

Once aboard, I watched the speed display until it reached 266 km/h. The ride was so steady that the number seemed at odds with how little movement I felt inside the carriage and before I could doze off, we were already at Congjiang.

Outside, it looked like we traveled back to the past, where traditional architectural details signaled the change in surroundings. We boarded our road transfer, and my attention shifted from the train’s speed to the structures outside.

Our next base was Zhaoxing Hotel; again it was a relatively new hotel but made to resemble old architecture. After settling in and having lunch, we were ready to meet the people whose architecture had already caught our attention.

The Dong and the drum towers

Zhaoxing Dong Village is in Liping County. The Dong and Miao are separate ethnic peoples, with their own languages, histories and traditions. Over the next two days, we would get an introduction to both.

The entrance looked like the gateway to an ancient village straight out of a Chinese microdrama. I thought we had arrived, but this was only the shuttle drop-off point; the village itself was still a few minutes away.

As at Huangguoshu Waterfall, there was plenty to look at before we reached the main sights. Landscaped paths, rice fields and views of the surrounding mountains made the approach worth slowing down for. They had clearly gone to considerable lengths to make the whole visit worth the journey, beginning well before we reached the village streets.

Zhaoxing traces its history to the Northern Song Dynasty, roughly a thousand years ago. The village’s five drum towers rise above the surrounding houses, their tiered roofs supported by timber frames fitted together without nails-a striking example of traditional Dong carpentry.

These towers have served as places for meetings, ceremonies, festivals and everyday conversation. Historically, drumbeats could summon residents or warn of danger.

Around them are rows of timber houses, many with tiled roofs, projecting upper floors and carved wooden details. Traditional raised houses can place living quarters above spaces used for storage or livestock, although buildings now accommodate shops, restaurants and guesthouses.

That was the part of Zhaoxing I wanted more time to explore.

All dressed up, but no time to go

ONE of the most popular activities here is trying on traditional Dong outfits. Our group dressed the part and learned a few dance steps. Former senator Nikki Coseteng participated enthusiastically, continuing to set a pace that some of us younger travelers struggled to match.

Playing dress-up was fun, but I wanted more time in the village. After that activity, we only had an hour before dinner and the show-barely enough to browse the shops and dining spots. This was where I should have bought more souvenirs: clothing, textiles, accessories and smaller keepsakes. I left with only a few items and later regretted not exploring further.

We also tried rice cake-making. Cooked glutinous rice is pounded into a dense, sticky mass before being portioned and served with a coating such as peanut powder. I tried the pounding, and it was more tiring than all the walking. Eating the finished piece was the easier part.

After dinner, we returned for the evening performance. The drum towers were illuminated, and the program brought people together around a bonfire. The songs and dances included a portrayal of traditional courtship that drew laughs from the crowd. Then came the bamboo-pole dance, which looked a lot like our tinikling, with participants timing their steps around poles moved to a rhythm. There was also Duoye, a communal circle dance in which people join hands and move together while singing, and the part where visitors were encouraged to participate.

Day four: Meeting the Miao

OUR next cultural visit took us to Langde Miao Village.

We just had breakfast but we were welcomed with rice wine, by women wearing traditional dress and music played on bamboo reed instruments. Silver ornaments and embroidered clothing immediately drew attention, but by this point, I wanted more than another set of photographs of people in beautiful outfits.

The term Miao, as used in China, covers a diverse population with different languages and local identities. The women of Langde are associated with the Long Skirt Miao tradition, named for their ankle-length skirts. Their embroidery rewards a closer view. Patterns can carry references to ancestry, beliefs, animals, plants and remembered journeys. Butterfly imagery, for example, has a central place in the creation traditions of some Miao communities.

Silver adds another layer of craftsmanship. Headdresses, neckpieces and other ornaments require skilled metalwork, and their significance extends beyond how impressive they look in a photograph.

My favorite part of the Langde show was watching the elders perform. The men lined up with their lusheng-bamboo mouth organs with pipes towering above their heads-and played together in the village square. The older women followed with their own performance, their embroidered clothes and silver ornaments moving with each step.

One dance had the women drawing long lengths of fabric from the lead dancer’s skirt, spreading them outward as they moved around her. It was a clever reveal: what had looked like part of one outfit became the center piece of a group dance.

I could happily have stayed watching the elders, but the program eventually called for audience participation. Once again, visitors were invited to join the dancing.

After lunch, we headed to a batik workshop. Batik uses wax to protect parts of a fabric from dye, creating a pattern when the wax is removed. It sounds straightforward until you consider the control required to produce an intricate design by hand-and, of course, I chose to do a Labubu design.

Our last cultural stop was the Qiandongnan Museum in Kaili, where costumes, objects and interactive displays helped place the village visits within a wider regional context.

The exhibits let us examine the embroidery, accessories and construction of garments we had seen during performances. Displays also covered food, customs and beliefs, while interactive stations introduced music and let visitors virtually try on traditional outfits.

The hidden tech beyond the villages

Perhaps Guizhou’s biggest surprise, however, lay in the places we never visited.

Gui’an New Area, near Guiyang, hosts massive data centers for Apple, Huawei, Tencent, and other tech giants. What makes them remarkable is their location: built into mountains and near natural caves to harness natural cooling. We never saw these facilities in person, but our guide credited these major enterprise investments with driving much of the province’s rapid modern development.

It brought to mind the Philippines’ own aspirations for high-tech manufacturing under initiatives like Pax Silica. While the projects serve different purposes, Guizhou offers a concrete lesson in how a region’s geographical advantages can be harnessed to drive real development. The vision is compelling, and as a Filipino, I’m eager to see how our own national plans are executed.

Our short visit couldn’t establish the full environmental or social cost of Guizhou’s development. What it did show us was a province with purposeful bridges, high-speed rail connections and major technology operations, alongside villages where residents continued to practice, teach and earn from their traditions. The Dong drum towers, Miao embroidery and cloud infrastructure all belonged to the same province.

I am grateful to former senator Nikki Coseteng and Bemz Benedito of Verde Creatives for the invitation and the arrangements that brought us Guizhou. I came home with so many stories, too few souvenirs and plenty of unfinished business: shops to explore in Zhaoxing, food to try, and a waterfall to walk behind.

Before this trip, I had forgotten how good it felt to need my passport again.

Now, this travelling tito can’t wait to get my next stamp.

Beyond law, into AI: John Ivan Busulwa building the future of insurance

At seven years old, John Ivan Busulwa had already chosen his profession: he wanted to be a lawyer.

His interest in law began with an admiration for the way lawyers dressed and confidently presented their arguments.

Despite excelling in the sciences at O -Level, where he scored Aggregate 13 with distinctions, he chose arts at A-Level because he wanted to study law.

He joined Makerere University School of Law, where he pursued a Bachelor of Laws, and subsequently Law Development Centre (LDC), where he undertook postgraduate training.

Knowledge beyond law school

Busulwa’s interest in fields beyond law began while he was still at university. In his second year at Makerere, he picked interest in venture capital while trying to raise money for a startup.

‘When I approached a lawyer for guidance, he initially ignored me and later told me not to disturb him because he was busy. I decided to teach myself,’ Busulwa recalls.

He began reading about venture capital every day.

‘I made it a point to read something new about venture capital every single day for three years,’ he says.

That curiosity introduced him to the world of investment and business finance, where he learnt about deal structuring, drafting term sheets and partnership agreements, private equity and financial modelling.

The experience also changed his understanding of what a lawyer could become.

By then, he had begun thinking beyond conventional legal practice. He wanted to create something that could make a difference to many people at once.

‘I felt law was often reactive, with lawyers and regulators stepping in only after technologies and industries had developed. I wanted to be on the field, building the technologies and creating the impact I wanted to see,’ he says.

He eventually pursued formal finance certifications to complement what he had learnt independently.

‘I enrolled with the Corporate Finance Institute and earned certifications in Financial Modelling and Valuation and Financial Planning and Wealth Management. By the time I joined the LDC, I knew a lot about venture capital,’ Busulwa explains.

Starting up

While still at university, Busulwa and his longtime friend, Matthew Mwesigwa, built Shopline, a platform designed to help small businesses sell online. The venture failed as the two struggled to balance developing the product with their studies.

However, they pressed on.

In their third term at LDC, Busulwa and Mwesigwa began building Credtics, a financial technology platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help microfinance institutions automate their credit processes.

The company has since developed an AI model specifically for insurance companies. Busulwa says the model can reduce claims processing time from about seven minutes to five.

The AI reviews claims documents, including handwritten ones, and checks them against the insurer’s policies and the claimant’s details before generating a verdict and a detailed report.

‘It flags inconsistencies, potential fraud, overcharging, double billing and issues involving documents such as driving licences. It is designed to work with a company’s existing technology rather than requiring it to rebuild its systems,’ Busulwa explains.

The company has not yet secured a paying insurance client, but several insurance companies are running trials. Busulwa says the results so far have been encouraging, with interest from insurers in Uganda, elsewhere in East Africa and in Asia.

Restoring trust in insurance

Busulwa is concerned about trust in insurance, particularly in Uganda, where insurance penetration remains low. He believes the claims process is one of the key moments that shape a customer’s relationship with an insurer.

‘If claims are processed quickly, fairly and accurately, trust grows,’ he says.

His legal background remains useful in this work. It enables him to assess legal risks alongside technological ones, while his finance training helps him understand the commercial implications of the systems he is building.

Busulwa believes professionals become more valuable when they can connect seemingly unrelated fields.

‘A lawyer who understands technology and finance can bring something different to a room filled with lawyers, engineers and finance professionals,’ he argues.

Shift in perspective

His move into technology gained momentum in 2025, when he received a scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in Engineering, Science and Entrepreneurship Excellence at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

The transition from law to a programme combining engineering, science, technology and entrepreneurship was challenging, he says, but that challenge was part of what attracted him to it. Busulwa believes tackling difficult things can create a competitive advantage because most people naturally avoid them.

‘My experience at Notre Dame expanded my sense of what was possible. My master’s research focused on commercialising bio-based stretch fabric and involved interviews with senior executives from companies such as Nike and Under Armour,’ he says.

He adds that interacting with people building successful companies broadened his perspective.

Guidance that shaped him

Busulwa attributes his ambition to a culture of accountability instilled by his parents, Stephen and Gorret Kayiwa. Every year, he says, the three set goals and later review their progress, a practice that keeps him focused on what he hopes to achieve.

A formative moment came in Senior Three, after he performed poorly.

‘My parents told me that education was the strongest gift I had and I was wasting it. The conversation changed how I viewed my abilities,’ he recalls.

Another turning point came when Busulwa was about 19. He walked from Makerere to Kololo to seek an opportunity from Awel Uwihanganye, who would later become his mentor. The meeting eventually led to a job at the LeO Africa Institute, where he received mentorship over the years.

‘The networks I built there later opened another door. A fellow, Maria Nakalanda, told me about the Notre Dame programme, so I applied and got the opportunity,’ he explains.

Delayed gratification

Building Credtics has come with trade-offs. Busulwa says he often goes to bed at about 2am and wakes up at 6am, spending his evenings learning, developing products, contacting potential clients and pitching the platform.

Future

Five years from now, Busulwa sees Credtics operating on a larger scale, helping insurance companies automate claims processing and financial institutions streamline operations across industries and countries. His goal is to develop technology that saves clients time and helps them make more money.

QUICK NOTES

Trade-offs: ‘My social life is limited. I do not go out much and I have a few friends. I am grateful that they understand,’ he says. ‘I invest my own money in building our technology and in my learning. I could have spent money on other things.’

Education timeline

January 29, 2024. Attained Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Makerere University

June 19, 2026. Postgraduate Diploma from Law Development Centre

May 17, 2026. Master’s from University of Notre Dame

Professional certifications: Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA) and Financial Planning and Wealth Management Professional from Corporate Finance Institute.

Geregu Power’s nine-month profit declines by 80% on transformer failures

Geregu Power Plc’s profit before tax plunged by 79.9 percent to N7.55 billion in the nine months ended September 2026, as operational disruptions caused by failures in critical transformers sharply reduced electricity generation and revenue.

The decline from N37.46 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025 highlights the financial impact of equipment breakdowns at the power plant, which the company said significantly constrained its production capacity during the period.

In its unaudited financial statements, the electricity generation company reported revenue of N25.35 billion, representing an 80.7 percent decline from N131.47 billion in the same period last year.

The sharp contraction was driven by a fall in energy sales to N16.90 billion from N85.52 billion, while capacity charge revenue dropped to N8.46 billion from N45.94 billion.

Geregu Power attributed the revenue decline to the breakdown of three critical transformers immediately after the company’s handover, resulting in low-voltage winding failures, high-voltage bushing failures and other operational challenges.

According to the company, the transformer failures significantly affected production output, with the equipment essential to the plant’s operations requiring repairs.

The company disclosed that one transformer had been successfully repaired, restored and reconnected to the national grid in August, while two others remained under repair and were expected to return to the plant in November and December.

The temporary reduction in operational capacity directly affected electricity generation and revenue, although management said the disruption resulted from unforeseen equipment breakdowns rather than underlying business performance issues.

Geregu Power also disclosed an ongoing reconciliation with the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) over an energy loss of 18,704.33 megawatt-hours (MWh) across August and September that was not captured by Nbet. The company said the amount would be recognised in due course.

The revenue contraction significantly weakened the company’s operating performance, with gross profit falling by 84.5 percent to N8.22 billion from N53 billion.

Cost of sales declined to N17.14 billion from N78.47 billion, reflecting lower operating activity, although the reduction was insufficient to offset the impact of weaker revenue.

Operating profit consequently fell to N12 billion from N42.23 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

The company’s administrative expenses also increased substantially, rising to N17.08 billion from N7.34 billion, adding further pressure to earnings.

Despite the challenging operating environment, an improvement in impairment reversals provided some support to profitability. Geregu recorded an impairment reversal of N16.12 billion on financial assets, compared with an impairment loss of N4.74 billion in the prior-year period.

Finance costs declined to N9.39 billion from N10.07 billion, while finance income stood at N4.94 billion compared with N5.30 billion a year earlier.

Consequently, net finance costs narrowed to N4.46 billion from N4.77 billion.

Profit after tax declined by 76.5 percent to N5.89 billion from N25.10 billion, while earnings per share dropped to N2.36 from N10.04.

To address the operational disruptions, Geregu Power said its board had taken the bold step of ordering brand-new transformers from Siemens to guarantee uninterrupted power generation.

In a statement, the company disclosed that the agreement covers transformers for the plant’s three generating units, GT11, GT12 and GT13, and forms part of the electricity producer’s investment in maintaining and modernising critical infrastructure.

The procurement is expected to strengthen the reliability of the plant’s connection to Nigeria’s national grid by reducing the risk of transformer-related failures that could disrupt generation and electricity delivery.

‘Under the agreement, Siemens Energy will handle the design, manufacture, testing and delivery of the three transformers, while Geregu Power will participate in Factory Acceptance Testing before the equipment is shipped to Nigeria.

‘The testing process will allow the power producer to assess the equipment against agreed specifications before delivery and installation,’ the company disclosed.

According to further analysis of the financial statement, the company expects the return of the two transformers undergoing repairs to enable the full restoration of its generation capacity.

The operational challenges also affected its cash generation. Net cash used in operating activities stood at N1.67 billion in the nine months, compared with positive cash generation of N54.61 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

The company ended September with cash and cash equivalents of N23.97 billion, compared with N28.11 billion at the end of December 2025.

Its total assets stood at N245.16 billion, while total equity declined to N42.02 billion from N58.63 billion at the end of 2025.

Geregu closed its last trading day on Friday with N825.70 per share on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Geregu Power began the year with a share price of N1,141.50 but has since lost 27.7 percent off that price valuation, ranking it 119th on the NGX in terms of year-to-date performance.

JUST IN: The Nation wins Best Literary Newspaper of the Year Award at ANA’s 45th convention

The Nation Newspaper has won the Best Literary Newspaper of the Year award at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) 45th convention in Abuja.

Mr Sam Omatseye Chairman of the Editorial Board received the award on behalf of The Nation.

Edozie Udeze also won Best Literary Journalist of the Year for his role in pushing Nigerian literature to global audiences.

The convention which opened on Thursday 29th October at the Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village Maitama Extension Mpape Abuja brings together writers poets scholars literary practitioners and other stakeholders in the creative and intellectual community to deliberate on the role of literature in national development security and Nigeria’s standing in the global community.

With the theme ‘Literature National Security and the Place of Nigeria in the World’ the convention provides a platform for critical reflection on the relationship between literary expression national consciousness peace security and the country’s international image.

Rainbow Coalition: Foreshadow of Wike’s ‘4th term agenda’?

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 will remain significant for some time to come in the political life of Rivers State following the formal launch at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, of the much-hyped Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform cobbled by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Given its unpretentious mission to dominate the politics of the hydrocarbon-rich Rivers State, along with some other states, the dispensation has raised concerns in several quarters due to its antecedents, and the unrelenting war of attrition that came to serve as the hallmark of its principal sponsor, against real and perceived opposition.

The high point of the attrition campaign was the capitulation and volte-face adopted for peace to reign by the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who, in spite of being a prime victim, has been forced to align with and endorse the coalition.

Among the trending questions now is what implications the ongoing coalition drama have for the future of the state, given the fact that the Rainbow Coalition is, in essence, the imposition of an incongruous political platform, seen by not a few observers as the fourth term agenda for Wike, which is being imposed on the disparate groups that make up the state.

The argument for this consideration draws from Wike’s proclivities in respect of the governorship of Rivers State. He had served two terms as governor of the state between 2015 and 2023, which qualified as first and second terms. Restricted by the constitution to serve a third term, he had manipulated Fubara into office, with the intention that the latter would remain a mere placeholder while he exercised real power. It was the reluctance of Fubara to act the placeholder that spawned the crisis between them; hence the Fubara tenure is widely seen as Wike’s troubled third term by proxy.

Now, courtesy of the Rainbow Coalition, Wike is positioning governorship candidates, namely, Kingsley Chinda of the APC and Sam Ejekwu of the PDP, both of whom are from his Ikwerre ethnic group, to ensure that one of them wins to serve as the enabler of his fourth term agenda.

With respect to the evolution of the Rainbow Coalition, not a few have rightly or otherwise likened its circumstances to the fable of the fox that lost its tail in a fight, only to gather the rest of the pack to advocate a new wisdom in living without a tail. In the case of the sympathisers of the Rainbow Coalition as presently constituted, what may be missing is the capacity for discretion and appreciation of political history, along with imperative for balance of interests among the constituent groups in the state.

The political history of Rivers State posits that ethnic harmony among the constituent groups is guaranteed with the rotation of the office of governor between the upland and riverine components of the state: which the Rainbow Coalition dispensation has come to disrupt.

Meanwhile, against the facade of seeming widespread acceptance of the Rainbow Coalition by some communities in Rivers State rages a growing storm of reservations over its tendency of assimilating opposition actors, often without as much as any consultation with their constituencies.

With respect to the mission of the Coalition, it needs to be recalled that it was cobbled by Wike to fulfill the promise of a consolidation of the Rivers State votes for Tinubu’s re-election gambit. Hence, hardly do considerations about the development challenges of Rivers State feature in the calculus and conversations of the coalition.

This situation renders it a retrogressive dispensation that offers any prospects of progress to the state. As is also widely appreciated, the history of the Rainbow Coalition situates it as the consolidation of Wike’s his grip on the state as a base for an eventual return to another contest for the nation’s presidency.

Easy to recall is Wike’s failed bid for the Presidency in 2022 and his vengeful fight-back against the PDP, as well as later joining of forces with the then APC candidate Bola Tinubu. In the light of the foregoing, the political future of Rivers State stands at a cross roads. In one direction lies the portends of allowing the future to be determined through the political alchemy of Wike, which features his sole prerogative of determining who governs the state now and in the future.

The demerit of this situation lies in the wisdom of the fact that no individual is altruistic enough to be entrusted with absolute political power over a group. And that includes Wike. Against the backdrop of the merit of political representation being the advocacy by a representative for the betterment of his or her constituency, the circumstances of a bandwagon declaration of subservience to single potentate by a generation of political elite, even without consultation, evokes concerns of possible manipulation.

To accentuate the incongruity of the Rainbow Coalition in the political firmament of Rivers State is the African proverb which states that only a child with compromised appreciation of his or her ancestry points to the parents’ grave with the left hand. Hardly is the message here a mystery to the affected. In the final analysis, therefore, the future of the state will be better served with an unfettered political space, which has to be spawned now with the forthcoming 2027 general polls. This is where and why the Wike dispensation through the Rainbow Coalition has shot itself in the foot with its inclination towards restricting the democratic space.

US court rejects bid to obtain evidence from Tinubu in FOIA case

A United States federal court has rejected a request by Aaron Greenspan to obtain evidence from President Bola Tinubu and DCI Group over alleged cyberattacks on his website, while leaving unresolved a wider dispute over historical investigative records sought from US federal agencies.

Judge Beryl A. Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on October 30 that the proposed discovery was not sufficiently relevant to Greenspan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

‘The Court’s decision makes clear that this Freedom of Information Act proceeding cannot be used to pursue discovery unrelated to the legal questions before it,’ Christopher W. Carmichael, an attorney commenting on the ruling, said.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, announced the decision on Saturday in a post on X, describing it as a rejection of Greenspan’s attempt to obtain evidence from Tinubu and DCI Group.

The court also rejected a request by Karl Von Batten, a non-party to the case, to file an amicus curiae brief, as well as Greenspan’s related request for judicial notice.

However, the ruling was not an outright victory for the US government in the underlying records dispute. The judge denied Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and granted the FBI’s competing motion only in part, leaving other aspects of the agencies’ justifications for withholding records subject to further proceedings.

The litigation concerns Greenspan’s efforts to obtain historical investigative records from the FBI and DEA relating to a federal investigation of a Chicago-based money-laundering and heroin-trafficking operation in the early 1990s.

His requests named Tinubu and other individuals. The court previously ordered the agencies to search for and produce non-exempt records after rejecting their initial attempts to refuse to confirm or deny whether responsive records existed.

In the latest ruling, the court found that Greenspan’s proposed investigation into alleged denial-of-service attacks on his website was not sufficiently connected to the legal questions in the FOIA case.

The decision did not determine who was responsible for the alleged cyberattacks, nor did it resolve the wider dispute over access to the historical records.

The court also raised concerns about the agencies’ justifications for withholding some documents, including whether they had adequately demonstrated that disclosure would cause foreseeable harm or whether portions of the records could be released without compromising protected information.

The agencies may submit additional declarations to justify continued withholding, leaving the disclosure dispute ongoing.

Oluwole Afolabi, an attorney commenting on the ruling, said the court had also denied Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and rejected the separate request to introduce an amicus brief.

‘While the underlying FOIA issues remain before the Court, these rulings establish important procedural boundaries and clarify which matters are appropriate for consideration in this litigation,’ Afolabi said.

The ruling therefore limits Greenspan’s attempt to expand the proceedings through discovery involving Tinubu and DCI Group, but does not conclude the underlying FOIA litigation.

Meet the six executives shaping Nigeria’s petroleum regulation

President Bola Tinubu has nominated six executive directors to lead strategic departments of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The nomination combines three returning officials and three new nominees in a leadership structure covering finance, petroleum distribution, infrastructure development, economic regulation and corporate administration. They will serve five-year terms if approved by the Senate.

Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha, who is widely referred to as a ‘son of Aba’, oversees distribution systems, storage and retailing infrastructure, a role central to the movement of petroleum products from processing facilities and import terminals to consumers.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1991, where he studied Law, before moving on to the Nigerian Law School in 1999.

Ukoha has been the executive director overseeing distribution since October 2021, after he first assumed the position. Before this role, he was a director at ESCN Limited, a law publishing firm based in Abuja.

Mustapha Lamorde heads health, safety, environment and community. He brings more than two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry.

He earned his undergraduate degree in 2001 from the University of Jos, where he studied Geology and Mining. He studied further at Robert Gordon University, Scotland, where he earned his Master’s in Oil and Gas Engineering.

Lamorde began his career with Geoservices International as a drilling data engineer in the United Kingdom North Sea before joining Shell as a petroleum engineer.

He was with Shell for about 12 years, where he worked on exploration, drilling, development and production management operations for deepwater projects across different markets.

His experience in technical and operational aspects of petroleum production provides a foundation for his regulatory responsibilities, which include ensuring that midstream and downstream petroleum activities meet health, safety and environmental standards.

Abiodun Adeniji is among the pioneer executive directors of NMDPRA, having been part of the authority’s inaugural leadership following its establishment under the PIA.

He heads the finance and accounts directorate, which is responsible for the financial management and accountability systems supporting the regulator’s operations.

Adeniji’s nomination for another term places him in charge of maintaining the financial systems of an authority whose responsibilities have expanded alongside changes in the petroleum industry.

Ogechukwu Modie is the regulator’s new economic regulations and strategic planning executive director. She brings a decade of experience across finance, management consulting, and strategic communications.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management in the United Kingdom.

Her career spans positions at Agusto and Co, Heirs Alliance, Nextzon Business Services and Makeda Fund Managers, where she gained experience in corporate finance, strategy consulting, mergers and acquisitions and private equity.

Modie moved into the petroleum industry in 2015 when she became chief of staff to the then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), a position that also involved supporting the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

She later served as senior special assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Strategic Communications, leading the presidency’s Strategic Communications Unit.

Her nomination to head Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning brings her background in finance, policy development and institutional strategy to a directorate responsible for the economic and strategic dimensions of petroleum regulation.

Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa

Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa is the new executive director nominated to oversee Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure.

Musa joined NMDPRA as a non-executive director in February 2024. He maintained that position before his recent nomination as executive director. But before his role at the regulatory agency, he worked with MAEB Energy as a managing director, a position he has held since November 2020 to the present.

He earned his first degree in Chemistry at Lagos State University from 1984 to 1988, then pursued a postgraduate degree in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Ibadan.

His appointment comes as Nigeria’s refining landscape changes, especially as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and emerging modular refineries increase the need for effective technical regulation and infrastructure oversight.

Said Abutalib

Said Abutalib will head corporate services and administration as an executive director, supporting the authority’s institutional and administrative operations.

His appointment places him in charge of a directorate central to the regulator’s internal management and organisational administration.

The task ahead

The six nominees will oversee different but interconnected areas of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum industry.

Their responsibilities become increasingly important as domestic refining capacity expands and Africa’s most populous nation seeks to strengthen its position as a key supplier of refined petroleum products across the African continent.

UNDASKO 2026 lights up traditions of love and remembrance

Now in its third year, Forest Lake’s annual UNDASKO celebration brought families and communities together on October 15, 2026. Combining Undas and Pasko, the initiative encourages families to celebrate life, remember loved ones, and prepare thoughtfully for the future.

Organized by Forest Lake Development, Inc., the Philippines’ leading memorial park developer, in partnership with Total Memorial Care, the celebration unfolded at Forest Lake Biñan in Laguna. The program featured ‘Habang Naririto Ka: A Celebration of Life for Ate Gay,’ followed by the Nationwide Christmas Tree Lighting across 42 participating sites and a free concert at Biñan.

‘UNDASKO 2026 brings our vision to life: creating places where generations of family memories are treasured, immortalized, and celebrated by the living. By bringing Undas and Pasko together, we allow families to appreciate those with them today and keep departed loved ones part of their Christmas traditions. Celebrate Life. Remember with Love. Prepare with Care. This message also reflects our commitment to personalized service: understanding what matters to each family, helping them create meaningful experiences, and encouraging thoughtful preparation as an expression of love,’ said Alfred Xerez-Burgos III, President and CEO of Forest Lake Development, Inc.

A highlight of the Biñan program was ‘Habang Naririto Ka: A Celebration of Life for Ate Gay,’ a living funeral planned and organized by Forest Lake. Unlike a traditional funeral, which takes place after a person’s death, a living funeral brings family, friends, and loved ones together during the person’s lifetime to share stories, express appreciation, and create memories with the honoree present. The person being celebrated can hear these expressions of affection, respond to them, and share their own gratitude, making appreciation a two-way exchange.

As each gathering is personal, Forest Lake offers personalized consultations to help families plan and coordinate an event that considers the honoree’s wishes, comfort, and privacy. A memorial chapel is the recommended setting for these gatherings, providing a space for loved ones to come together and celebrate the person’s life. Specific arrangements and services may vary by location.

‘As part of UNDASKO 2026, ‘Habang Naririto Ka: A Celebration of Life for Ate Gay’ gave a personal expression to our message of celebrating life. Forest Lake helped plan and organize the gathering around appreciation, relationships, and gratitude. More broadly, a living funeral creates space for someone to hear what they mean to loved ones and express thanks in return. Alongside the tree lighting and free concert, it reflected UNDASKO’s purpose of bringing people together to share meaningful moments,’ said Carlos Miguel V. Locsin, National Sales and Marketing Head of Forest Lake Development, Inc.

Later that day, Forest Lake held its Nationwide Christmas Tree Lighting across 42 participating sites. Lighted trees and Christmas decorations marked the occasion across its memorial parks, giving visitors a festive setting for the season. While the nationwide lighting took place on October 15, other Undas activities at individual sites followed their respective local schedules.

‘Across our parks, UNDASKO creates a welcoming Christmas setting where families can spend time together while remembering departed loved ones. The lighted trees and Christmas décor help keep them part of the season’s traditions. The nationwide tree lighting brought our communities together, while Forest Lake Biñan’s free concert added an evening of music and laughter. Each site’s Undas activities follow its local schedule, with the same commitment to a meaningful visitor experience and respect for families who come for quiet remembrance,’ said Gambi Dizon, Chief Operating Officer of Forest Lake Development, Inc.

At Forest Lake Biñan, the festivities continued after the tree lighting with a free concert featuring Ate Gay, alongside guests Henry G., AJ, Boobsie, and friends, with special guest AZTER. Admission to the Biñan tree lighting and concert was free, allowing visitors to enjoy an evening of music and entertainment as part of the UNDASKO celebration.

UNDASKO and Forest Lake’s personalized approach to living funerals reflects its vision: ‘To build a better place where generations of family memories are treasured, immortalized, and celebrated by the living.’ Through its Total Memorial Care offerings, Forest Lake continues to emphasize value, innovation, and personalized service, helping families create meaningful experiences and prepare for the future with care.