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Valentine Onyeka Ogunaka, Nigerian storytelling diplomat, poet, and development communications professional, has introduced a new framework aimed at transforming how refugees and vulnerable communities are represented in development communications, while warning that today’s narratives could become tomorrow’s artificial intelligence biases.

Speaking at the Communications for a Better World Conference, which was held in New York and virtually, Ogunaka presented Framing for a Cause (FFAC), a framework developed through his work with Ecrafti and years of field documentation in displacement and migration contexts.

His presentation, ‘Development Narratives Diplomacy: The Framing for a Cause Framework for Dignifying Refugee Portfolios and the Future of Storytelling as AI Listens,’ argued that many humanitarian narratives continue to portray vulnerable populations primarily through crisis, dependency, and need, often overlooking their capabilities, aspirations, and contributions.

‘People should not have to trade their dignity to be seen,’ Ogunaka told participants. ‘Behind every refugee portfolio or displacement story is a person with identity, agency, skills, and dreams.’

Developed from field experience across Nigeria, FFAC is built around four pillars: identity, agency, contribution, and possibility. The framework encourages communicators to move beyond deficit-focused storytelling and present refugees and vulnerable communities as active participants in shaping their own futures.

A central theme of the presentation was the growing impact of artificial intelligence on global communications.

‘If our development narratives consistently portray vulnerable populations through deficit, crisis, and dependency, what happens when machines learn those narratives and reproduce them at scale?’ Ogunaka asked.

The question resonated with ongoing global conversations around AI ethics, representation, and responsible communication.

He currently serves as Communications Coordinator for the ARRIVES Project at the International Trade Centre (ITC) and has contributed to communications initiatives involving migration, displacement, and refugee communities, including work connected to UNHCR. He is also internationally recognised for using poetry and storytelling as tools for social change and development advocacy.

The New York presentation marks a significant milestone for Ecrafti, bringing a framework developed from African field realities into international discussions on development communications, human dignity, and the future of AI-informed storytelling.

As institutions increasingly seek ethical approaches to communication, Ogunaka believes the challenge is no longer simply telling stories about vulnerable populations, but ensuring those stories reflect the full humanity of the people at their centre.

‘How we frame people today may shape how societies and AI understand human dignity tomorrow,’ he concluded.

Ezekiel Ikotun, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Flinchglow Travels Limited, company that services the travel value chain, shook the audience at a workshop on air travel in Port Harcourt with how Nigeria’s prosperity in the tourism industry has been stifled.

Spoke at the workshop which took place at the Ogeyi Place in the GRA 2 section of the Garden City where he revealed how insecurity had badly affected the growth of the tourism sector. It was a workshop that brought together the airlines and agencies in the sector.

Explaining more to newsmen on the drawbacks, Ikotun said: ‘The first thing is insecurity which drives people away. Who wants to come to a space where you hear about a lot of kidnapping, hear about bandits, and all of that?

‘If insecurity can come to an end, and better business architecture where there’s certainty in the business area is installed, you’ll see investors coming in to invest heavily in our space, and we’ll see how tourism is going to grow exponentially.’

He said people want to come to Nigeria because Nigeria has a lot of natural endowments across the entire region of Nigeria.

Setting at the seminar in PH

‘There’s no area that does not have something natural for which people can fly in from anywhere in the world to come and see. But in terms of investment, government support is not there. But if we can have that, have security, everything will be fine.’

On how the event came about and its inspiration, the CEO said it is called ‘Partner Plus Connect’. ‘We are a travel consolidator. We are agents’ agent. So, we service everybody within the travel space. We buy from airlines in bulk and resell to other travel agencies.

‘For the fact that we are driven by volume, we get better discounts because of our position, then we can resell better to other travel agencies.’

In the past, he said, ‘We discovered that there’s been a lot of uneducated travel agents in the Nigerian space. And part of the product that we offer is to ensure that all our travel agencies are better positioned in terms of awareness, in terms of capacity building.

‘If you look at the engagement today, you can see that all airlines are coming to make presentations about their products and services, and then in turn, our partners, our sub-agents can ask questions or be better enlightened on how best they can do their business.

‘Most of them don’t even have the opportunity or the privilege to have this kind of gathering, if not for us coming up with it to bring all of these airlines together and other GDSs to be able to serve them better.’

On benefits to travelers and agents, he said it is an ecosystem which is connected. ‘It means that if the sub-agents are properly educated, that means they will serve the traveler better.

‘Now, for the agents also, once they can serve better, they can have better businesses. For those who are in our own ecosystem, that simply means they will know better about the business, and they can serve their customer better.

‘Look at this information now about Ethiopian Airlines, it’s coming to them firsthand. They now have the contacts of these airlines so they can reach out to them and go through us for ticket issuance. So, they have firsthand information about how best they can service their customers.

Let all airlines sell tickets in Naira:

On what the FG should be doing to lift agents to make the sector more formidable, the expert pleaded on forex as the greatest challenge they faced. ‘We are asked to issue tickets in dollars, remit in dollars, but we have limited dollar access. So, if that can be properly handled, our local currency is Naira. If all the airlines can be mandated to sell in Naira, then we can remit in Naira. So, we don’t have any problem when it comes to remittances.’

In terms of awareness, he said the aviation industry worldwide is one of the most viable sectors. ‘If you look at the GDP of the world, what travel and tour industry is contributing is not a small fraction. So, if a lot of investment can be done in that regard like Kenya does. People travel from America to Kenya simply because of how their tourism industry is being structured.

‘So, if you have something similar in our space in Nigeria, that means that industry will even give more to the GDP of Nigeria.’

He said they were excited about the next move. ‘AI is taking the front door of every conversation. If you look at the investment globally, this year is over $1 trillion, the investment. Meaning any industry that is a bit structured is going to be heavily hit by AI.

‘So, the next phase is about building a robust architecture technology that can accommodate some of the things we talked about in terms of automation, in terms of availability of products and services, access to technology, and all of that. So, what’s next for us is to see how we can be a major player when it comes to that particular ecosystem where technology will meet AI, then automation makes work a lot easier for both the travel agency and the travelers.’

Oluremi Olusunde, CEO of Realms Travels and Tours Limited: How to survive as an airline agent

Also speaking to newsmen, Oluremi Olusunde, CEO of Realms Travels and Tours Limited, admitted that the event was smoothly executed, saying it was a time of learning. ‘It was a time of getting renewed information in the travel industry.’

He said the panelists were just simply brilliant and interesting. And for the airlines that came, all the questions they had about their services, their offers, their perks were answered adequately. It was really a time well spent.

‘I have been over a decade in the industry. The industry has its challenges, however, I think that it is a huge place. And if you are able to carve a niche market for yourself, and you’re able to adequately update yourself regularly, you can keep your customers and you will thrive in the industry.’

‘On how this event was organized, I am beyond impressed with this meeting. I’m someone who doesn’t like to stay out, to take a lot of time out of work, but for this meeting, I think for every minute I’ve spent here, it’s been worthwhile. It’s been a nice experience.’

How to use AI in this industry:

He went on: ‘Yes, we came to this training on AI, and I want to say AI is everybody’s friend as long as you know how to use it. AI does not replace human intelligence. It is artificial intelligence for a reason. It is faster but you always need human intelligence because you need that balance to be able to curate things according to how humans will need it curated.

AI just gives you data. Human intelligence filters the data and adapts it to every individual.

So I don’t think AI challenges my position in the industry. I just think it’s a tool that I can use to make myself better.’

Ethiopia Airlines happy to return to PH:

The airline was at the seminar in Port Harcourt and revealed their plans to resume flights to the Garden City.

Speaking, Firiehiwot Mekonnen, Area Manager – Nigeria, Ethiopian Airlines, gave her take home from the seminar, first saying the event was very good. She profusely commended Finchglow Travels for bringing all travel partners together.

‘It’s really an amazing event, and they keep on doing it every year. So, we really want to appreciate and thank you, Finchglow Travels, for that.’

She also said she was glad that they were able to meet and discuss with all the travel partners, travel agencies around this area. ‘They have already expressed their support for Ethiopian Airlines. They have expressed their appreciation for Ethiopian Airlines to commence flights to Port Harcourt.

‘As Ethiopian Airlines, we are also really happy and excited to start our fifth frequency or fifth destination in Nigeria, which is Port Harcourt. We expect that this operation, which we are starting with four frequencies per week, is going to grow to daily frequency with the support of Finchglow Travels and all the travel partners that we have met today.

‘We have also taken all their comments and feedbacks, and we are committed to working on that.’

She described their experience in Nigeria one of resilience. ‘You know, Ethiopian Airlines started operating to Nigeria right after one month of Nigeria’s independence. So, this year we have celebrated our 65 years of anniversary in Nigeria.

‘And in Ethiopian Airlines, since we have started, we have been continuing, we have never stopped through thick and thin, no matter what. There are times where so many airlines were challenged and suspended their flights, but Ethiopian Airlines never did that.

‘So, throughout all these years, we kept on adding and making sure that we bring the best to the Nigerian public. We bring the best of the airlines. We fly with A350,000 to Lagos, Abuja, and then we are going to bring that as well to you.’

She said Nigerians love Ethiopian Airlines. ‘So, the experience that we have had in operating in Nigeria is very good. It’s a Nigerian airline, that’s what we can say and that’s how our passengers claim as well. So, the experience is very good, very vibrant people, very warm people, and then we keep on growing and we keep on giving back to Nigeria.’

Explaining further, she said she just arrived from Lagos. She said her colleague, Agitu Tesfaye, will be working in Port Harcourt. She said she considered it good news to the agents.

‘So, Mr. Agitu is going to be the Traffic and Sales Manager of Ethiopian Airlines here in Port Harcourt; someone who is going to be closely working with you.

‘We will just give you a brief overview of Ethiopian Airlines. This airline has been flying to Port Harcourt, and this presentation is like a discussion, an interaction.

‘Ethiopian Airlines has been flying to Port Harcourt back in 2019. Now, we are resuming our flights in December 2026. So, I just want to give you a brief introduction about Ethiopian Airlines, and then I want us to discuss.

‘I want you to ask, request, and comment as well on our services. Ethiopian Airlines is an 80-year-young airline. So, this is just to give a note about Ethiopian Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines was founded in 1945. This year, we have already celebrated our 80th year anniversary. It is fully owned by the government.’

Chigozie Nnah: Key lecture on ticket pricing mechanism:

Nnah is the Account Manager, Lufthansa Airlines, Port Harcourt, and he spoke on what he called continuous pricing mechanism in the industry.

He said: ‘We are used to our Reservation Booking Designators (RBDs), K-class, Lima class, and the rest of them. Now, what this continuous pricing normally does is that when it looks at a booking situation in any period and sees that there are seats not sold and the other ones the seat before that or the RBD before that is sold.

‘So, what the system does is instead of if K-class is N90,000 and then Lima is N100,000, instead of charging you N100,000, what it does is it tries to do what we call a little of differentiation and gets a price in between and offer it to anyone who is booking.

So, it’s only applicable or available within a specified period of time. The moment you book it and you do not pay, you want to wait until the next day, it may not be available.’

Now, he said, the New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a win-win game, so to speak. ‘We have attractive NDC smart offers, transparent, value-added, full customization and personalization deals. What do we mean by personalization? Individualization to suit each and every customer if you so wish.

‘And then the technology, the trade and technology partner, we have better servicing functionalities, value-based commercial models, and it comes with increased efficiency.

‘The most difficult thing for a man to do is change which is difficult, change is the only thing that is constant.’

He said when he hears people say they cannot change from the traditional way of booking to the new and the smart way such as the NDC that is a smart way of booking; ‘It clearly tells you that in the new way of doing business, it offers you more efficiency than the old way of doing your business, especially as time and tides change.

‘Again, we have its installer of innovative NDC smart offers. We have different offers available for our partners and the state-of-the-art shopping experience. Gradually the airline industry will come to a point like what you have on Amazon and the rest, where you have a shopping cart. You can pick this and put to that cart, put this and all in that one cart, and then at the end you have just a basket of all the things that you need. So, this is how it’s going to run, and that’s what is seen. It’s the state-of-the-art shopping experience, and it comes with value-based willingness to pay.

‘I need to talk about ancillary. This is one topic or one subject I think we have not actually fully utilized; ancillary.’

With additional services on the local government, he went on, travelers can make their journey even more individual and comfortable.

‘There’s ancillary, you have the extra leg room, there, you can make advance seat reservation. Recently, I had some people say, ‘I do not have the money to pay for premium, and I need comfort. You can simply book advance seats, make an advance seat reservation. That way, your customer becomes comfortable even though at that period is not able to pay for the higher class.

‘So, this is part of what we should offer as professionals, at least, give them the complete package, ensure that these ancillaries are effectively and properly utilized. We have the sleeper rolls and then the fixed price upgrade.

‘Many of you may not know about the fixed price upgrade. We have fixed price upgrade and bid upgrade, and even the excess bag rate.

‘For the fixed price upgrade, there’s a fixed price to upgrade for instance from one class to the other. For the bid price, if you make a booking even though you did it in your office, you can go online and then you can ask for an upgrade. That upgrade is not fixed. You’re allowed to make quotes or bid. You’re allowed to make an offer. And at the end of the day, when it’s close to the flights especially, the person that has the highest offer is given that offer to upgrade.’

He explained with examples: ‘So, sometimes, if somebody has bid at $100, another person bid $105, another one $112; at the end of the day they pick the one that had the highest bid. If there are other avenues to make some other upgrading, take them just like that. So, this is how it works.

‘The one I want us to dwell on is the one of the extra bag. Recently, we have seen cases of people who have been saying that the extra bag amount is quite on the high side.

‘Just this Tuesday, a passenger was traveling and he told me wanted an extra bag, and asked how much for it. I said $305, he shouted. I said, but you know you can go to Lufthansa website and ask for an extra bag at a cheaper rate. He did and at the end, he got it at $132.

That’s shocking. Look at the difference.

‘So, for partners here, you can give your customer better services, you can also save them money, you can as well make more money for yourself.

‘I want you to make some money when you click. Why should I go to the airport and pay $305 whereas I can do it online? You can do it online and give to my clients, and also get some fringe from it.

‘We have the latest services we just mentioned.

Now, allegries. It is our latest in the market in terms of seats. It’s only in Lagos. We have the allegries that come with our flights, dreamliner that comes into Lagos. The allegries is simply a new configuration of seats that gives you additional maximum comfort.’

It’s found in all the cabins in the business class. ‘The suites are the one in front. If you have someone who always flies first class, and he is so used to first class, and there is unfortunately on this route there is no first class.

When you book the person in business class, please, pay for that business suite.

If you go online it’s cheaper. It’s more or less like first class, the services are top-notch.

You can find same in premium and as well in economy class.

‘As experts (agents) you should be registered with Lufthansa experts. It is a where we communicate our products, services, and other information that ordinarily you cannot get anywhere else. Lufthansa gives you credit.

‘Some ask for group discount. Any class you book, your staff, the family, you are entitled to 20% discount. Contact the airline, or read down the ticket. We have Lufthansa group meetings, we call it miles meetings, incentive and all that. And then we have the partner plus benefit.

‘The green fares are part of the fair family on the Lufthansa fair basis. Green fair simply means the fair that helps to promote a greener environment, safer environment, reduce carbon dioxide emission.’

He said when anybody books green fair, what the airline does is a little bit higher, but the benefit that weighs what you pay is that whereas you pay surcharge to ask for refund or rebook, this one is free. ‘Again, the additional benefit for green fair is that a customer enjoys 20% more on their miles and more.’

In furtherance of its water regeneration initiative, Nestlé Nigeria has commissioned eight smart boreholes and water treatment facilities to serve communities in the Agbara axis.

These facilities form part of a wider programme spanning the Agbara catchment in Ogun State and the Abaji catchment in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Water Regeneration Project is structured around four connected pillars: Water access, delivered through 24 climate-smart boreholes-eight in Agbara and 16 in Abaji; Water quality, supported by treatment plants, routine monitoring, the National Water Quality Advocacy Campaign and practical water safety guidance; Water conservation, advanced through rainwater harvesting systems; and Water governance, strengthened through community water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) committees and governance training.

These measures provide local oversight, clarify responsibilities for safe operation, preventive maintenance, fault reporting and water quality checks, and strengthen community ownership to protect the long-term value of the infrastructure.

For Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages, the water regeneration project links measurable community impact with watershed resilience, responsible water management and business continuity.

It provides an integrated model in which infrastructure expands access, treatment safeguards quality, rainwater harvesting supports conservation, advocacy strengthens stewardship and local governance sustains performance.

Speaking at the commissioning, Business Executive Officer, Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria Plc., Olutayo Olatunji said: ‘The Agbara commissioning is an important milestone within our wider Water Regeneration Project and reflects Nestlé’s commitment to helping regenerate local water cycles.

By combining treated water infrastructure with local governance and performance monitoring, we are creating a model that improves access, strengthens watershed resilience and delivers enduring value. As we finalise the remaining scope, our focus remains on rigorous delivery and measurable outcomes that benefit communities and support business continuity.’

Also speaking on the project, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said: ‘Commissioning a facility is only the beginning; ensuring that it continues to provide safe, reliable and sustainable service is the true measure of success. It is encouraging that this initiative places strong emphasis on governance and water stewardship through the development of a governance training manual for water regeneration and stewardship.’

In his address, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, added: ‘This project demonstrates what strategic public-private collaboration can achieve. By working with regulators, local authorities and host communities, Nestlé has supported an ecosystem for sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water. The initiative advances Sustainable Development Goal 6 and aligns with Nigeria’s environmental priorities.’

Welcoming the project on behalf of the host community, His Royal Majesty, Oba Lukman Jayeola Agunbiade, Olute III, the Alagbara of Agbara Kingdom, said: ‘Today is a day of gratitude for the people of Agbara. Safe water touches every part of our lives: the health of our children, the dignity of our homes and the hopes of our families.

‘Today, it has come closer to all of us. But Agbara has received more than boreholes; we have received a responsibility.

‘As custodians of this land, I charge our chiefs, Baales, WASH committees and every resident to treat these facilities as our own, guard them against misuse and report faults promptly. What has been started here today, Agbara will sustain for our children and for generations yet unborn.’

Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Victoria Uwadoka, said: ‘Through the National Water Quality Advocacy Campaign and the National Water Quality Handbook developed with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and OPS-WASH, we are helping to take water safety knowledge beyond project sites into homes, schools, communities and institutions. Access alone is not enough. Water must be safe, it must be protected, and communities must have the knowledge to manage it responsibly.’

The commissioning of the projects in Agbara reflects the strength of collaboration among public authorities, regulators, traditional institutions, community leaders, WASH Committees, OPS-WASH and other technical partners.

As the Abaji sites are completed and handed over, Nestlé Nigeria will maintain its focus on disciplined delivery, transparent validation and strong local ownership to create lasting value for communities, strengthen watershed resilience and support the long-term sustainability of the business.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, has seized smuggled goods with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N79.86 million in a series of anti-smuggling operations conducted across the two states over five weeks.

The seized items include 16,825 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, 501 cartons of foreign bar soap, 266 bags of foreign parboiled rice, second-hand clothing and a Mitsubishi Canter truck used to transport some of the contraband.

Comptroller MA Tako, the Customs Area Controller, Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, disclosed this during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Yola on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Tako said the seizures followed intelligence-led operations and surveillance along border communities and suspected smuggling routes, particularly around Ribadu, Sahuda, Wuro Alhaji-Maiha, Belel-Goshidan and Maiha-Mubi.

According to him, the operations were part of the service’s efforts to curb smuggling, protect the Nigerian economy and prevent the unlawful movement of prohibited goods across the country’s borders.

Giving details of the interceptions, Tako said officers raided the River Benue bank along the Ribadu axis on August 16, where they discovered 451 cartons of foreign bar soap allegedly stockpiled for smuggling. He said the suspects abandoned the goods and fled into the bush when the officers arrived.

He added that 374 jerrycans of petrol, each with a capacity of 25 litres, were intercepted along a bush path in Sahuda, near the Nigeria-Cameroon border, on August 20.

The command also intercepted a Mitsubishi Canter truck with registration number XB 566 GML along the Wuro Alhaji-Maiha axis on September 14.

The vehicle was carrying 116 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, and 50 cartons of foreign soap.

In another operation on September 21, officers discovered 299 jerrycans of petrol, each containing 25 litres, along an unapproved route on the Belel-Goshidan axis. The fuel was allegedly intended to be smuggled out of the country.

Tako further disclosed that officers seized 150 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 20 bags of local maize weighing 100kg each, 11 bales of second-hand clothing and five jumbo sacks of used clothing along a bush path on the Maiha-Mubi axis on October 2.

He said the seizures were made in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and relevant provisions of the Common External Tariff, including the import prohibition list.

The controller commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the service’s management for providing the resources and logistical support needed to strengthen anti-smuggling operations.

He also praised the officers involved in the interceptions for their vigilance and commitment, urging members of the public to provide credible information about suspicious activities in their communities.

Tako called on the media to sustain public awareness campaigns on the economic and security consequences of smuggling, stressing that cooperation between security agencies and communities was essential to protecting the country’s borders and promoting economic growth.

A crown is not won with words. In Ijebuland, royalty rests on one thing: blood you can trace. Who was your father? Who was his father? Who was your mother, and the people she came from? You follow the line back, on either side, until it reaches the ruling house. That is how it has always worked. That is how it must stay.

So there is a simple question for Mr Abimbola ‘Bimbo’ Onabanjo, who is said to be linked to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Agunsebi, Ijebu-Ode. Through whom does the line run, his father or his mother? A claim to a ruling house must pass through blood, and blood comes down from a parent. Either the Fusengbuwa connection comes through his father’s side, or it comes through his mother’s side. One of them must carry it. Which one?

Begin with what his father has said in public, in his own voice. In an interview marking his 80th birthday, carried by The Nation and republished online, Otunba Dipo Onabanjo described his own background himself. He said the people who gave him his Otunba title are his people in Ijebu Ogbeere, in Ogun State. He spoke of schooling in Ijebu-Ode as a boy. And he named his wife, Bimbo’s mother, as Chief Mrs Margaret Onabanjo, nee Akintola, from Odosida in Ondo State.

Read that again. Ijebu Ogbeere on one side. Odosida, in Ondo State, on the other. Neither one is the Fusengbuwa house.

Now, at last, an answer has been offered. But notice first that it does not come from Bimbo Onabanjo himself, who to this day has not explained his own lineage in his own mouth. It comes in statements pushed on his behalf by a handful of paid bloggers. And when you read what they put out slowly, it does not settle the question. It deepens it.

The statement says Bimbo descends from Fusengbuwa through his maternal great-grandfather, a certain Lamina Aderibigbe, known as ‘Daily Woollen.’ Then, in the very next breath, it says Bimbo’s father, whom it now styles Prince Stephen Oladipupo Onabanjo, is the ‘first grandson’ of that same Lamina Aderibigbe.

Both of those cannot be true. If the man is reached through the mother, the line runs on the mother’s side. If the father is his grandson, the line runs on the father’s side. To say the same single ancestor sits on both sides at once is to say that Bimbo’s own father and mother are of one blood, from one grandfather. No family makes that claim about itself, and no ruling house is built that way. A statement that contradicts itself in two sentences has not proved a lineage. It has only shown that its authors do not know which parent they are claiming.

Then comes the most troubling turn of all. The woman the father himself named, with pride, as his wife and Bimbo’s mother, the lady from Odosida in Ondo State, is now waved away in the same statement as a mere ‘stepmother,’ and a new, unnamed biological mother is produced to carry the bloodline that the named mother cannot. No name is given. No marriage, no record, no family that anyone can point to. When a man’s own mother, acknowledged by his own father in print, must be quietly replaced to win an argument, the argument is already in trouble.

Let us be plain about what does not count. Going to school in Ijebu-Ode does not make a man royal. Living there, working there, or keeping good friends there does not make a man royal. A ruling house is a family, not a town. If schooling in a place conferred a throne, half the country could claim one.

And let us be just as plain about money. The throne is not for sale. It cannot be bought with projects, gifts, or donations spread around the town. A man may build roads, fund events, and give generously in every direction, and still not be of the blood. Generosity is welcome, but generosity is not genealogy. The stool answers to ancestry, not to a bank account.

Asking for proof is not an insult. It is respect for the throne, for history, and for every true son and daughter of the house. The one who makes the claim carries the burden. Those who ask the question are not required to disprove anything. Our people put it simply: ir?´ ní ?s?` kúkúrú, a lie has short legs, and cannot run far before it falls.

So the questions remain on the table, sharper now than before:

Does the Fusengbuwa claim come through the father, or the mother? It cannot be both, from the same man.

If through the father, who are the ancestors, by name, from Dipo Onabanjo back to Fusengbuwa?

If through the mother, who is she, and how does her family connect to a ruling house in Ijebu-Ode?

And who is the recognised head of the Fusengbuwa house, not paid bloggers, ready to stand up and confirm any of this?

Until these are answered without contradiction, this remains a claim awaiting proof, not settled history. Fusengbuwa is older than today’s politics. It belongs to the people and to children not yet born. It cannot be bought, and it deserves the truth.

The Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange (LCFE), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other capital market stakeholders have urged young Nigerians to verify investment opportunities and beware of fraudulent schemes, particularly those promoted through social media.

The warning was issued at the LCFE’s sixth Annual Financial Literacy Seminar in Lagos on October 22, held to commemorate World Investor Week 2026 under the theme, ‘Invest Smart, Stay Alert: Protecting Investors from Commodity Investment Scams.’

The seminar brought together students from secondary schools and tertiary institutions, alongside representatives of key financial market institutions, to promote financial literacy, responsible investing and awareness of investment fraud.

Representing Akin Akeredolu-Akeredolu, Managing Director, LCFE, the Head of Operations, Nkechi Obi-Chidi, urged the students to become ambassadors for Nigeria’s capital market by promoting legitimate investment opportunities and encouraging others to verify investment schemes with the SEC before committing funds.

She emphasised the importance of distinguishing regulated investment opportunities from fraudulent schemes as young Nigerians increasingly encounter financial promotions across digital platforms.

Kelechi Azubuike-Luke, Senior Manager, Financial Literacy Technical Committee, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who represented the Commission, cautioned participants against schemes promising guaranteed profits or unusually high returns. She advised investors to confirm the registration status of capital market operators through the Commission’s official channels and avoid making investment decisions based solely on peer pressure or social media endorsements.

Speaking on behalf of the Association of Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Athan Ogbozor, Executive Secretary,

ASHON commended the Exchange for sustaining the financial literacy initiative.

Ogbozor urged investors to question promises of unrealistic returns and verify the regulatory status of investment operators, noting that the growing use of social media to promote investments makes investor vigilance increasingly important.

Onome Komolafe, Divisional Head, Business Services and Client Experience at the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), stressed the need for investors to understand investment products before committing their money.

She encouraged young people to exercise patience and discipline in building wealth, adding that sustainable financial growth depends on knowledge, informed decisions and a clear understanding of investment risks.

The speakers agreed that investor protection requires collective responsibility among regulators, exchanges, market operators and the investing public.

A major highlight of the seminar was the presentation of awards to winners of the financial literacy essay competition, which challenged students to examine investment scams and demonstrate their understanding of responsible investing.

At the tertiary level, Sesugh Innocent Tyokosu, a 300-level law student of Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, Benue State, emerged first, while OdunmbakuDaniel Odunayo of the Department of Economics, Caleb University, Lagos, took second place.

In the secondary school category, Enilama Jesse, a Year 11 (SSS2) student of STandT Regency International School, won first place, while Oseremen Omoyemen Oseghale of Corona Day Secondary School, Lekki, finished second.

The competition provided a platform for students to engage with investment fraud, financial responsibility and the importance of investor protection, reinforcing the role of financial education in promoting informed participation in the capital market.

LCFE said its annual financial literacy programme reflected its continued commitment to educating the public about commodity markets, investment risks and the importance of dealing with appropriately regulated market operators.

The seminar ended with a call on young and prospective investors to verify investment opportunities, question promises of quick profits and prioritise informed financial decisions over the pursuit of unrealistic returns.

Man has come a long way from the days of Aesop, the ancient Greek storyteller who developed a style of travelling to the animal world to draw lessons for men and women. History has a bouquet of his jungle stories and their morals: The ant and the grasshopper (You can shape your tomorrow today); The boy who cried wolf (It’s the lie you’re used to which will be remembered, not the truth you only tell once); The fox and the grapes (One can’t accommodate what’s beyond your reach; you will despise it).

Modern novelists also write to instruct or entertain us, some from forest life, like Nigeria’s Daniel Fagunwa (Ogboju ode ninu igbo irunmole, 1936) and the Englishman George Orwell (Animal Farm, 1945), with others strictly seeking inspiration from the world of human beings as Professor Tunde Ope-Davies has done in his work, Winds Against My Sails.

Ope-Davies dispenses with creatures of the thicket to relate his account; but he also proffers great precepts not virtuously different from those we receive through the writers who commune with the woods. Either way, the readers are enriched, hugely tutored to change perceptions as they reap a harvest of predictable and unexpected twists in the tale.

We have plenty of them in the work of Ope-Davies (Opeibi), a professor in Digital Humanities, Digital Cultures, English and Discourse Studies at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, beginning with a tell-tale autobiographical title for a work of fiction. About the Author back cover section of the book conceals the dark days of the author’s own headwinds. But critics wouldn’t consider it unreasonable to look at Professor Wale Jones in the novel and apply poetic license to unveil him as the alter ego of Opeibi, himself a heavily garlanded don like his creation.

Jones, the main character, leaves rustic Jadesore to embark on what the author calls the Voyage of Life. The name of his village challenges the ambitious to venture out for breakthroughs eluding them. Yet, it doesn’t reveal that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Wale gets the delicacy alright; but it is at the expense of much travail, trauma and toil.

There are near-death experiences; there are fatalities; there are several heartbreaks as well as betrayals; missed opportunities that present no second chances are also recorded; we equally learn of juvenile escapades that could have shortened the life of the hero; there is a battle over the choice of a marriage partner; a time of abandonment by family, friends and loved ones is also shared; we read of days of hunger when biscuits and mint sweets miserably cater for hunger; there’s story of an absentee father; when he’s home however, he fails to model virtue as he engages in nocturnal drinking orgies with friends in the presence of impressionable children; there are assaults of ill health and threats of death at childbirth.

To be sure, some of these are occasioned by poverty. Not all, though. How about the struggles Jones encounter even after the young man has crossed the threshold, in a manner of speaking, and he begins to get local and global recognition denied peers and mentors? The winds against his sail don’t cease in the ivory tower. They are personified by Katakiti, ”who had remained at the same rank for years. To watch Wale, once his student, rise above him was a bitter pill.” There’s also a season of character perfidy when Wale Jones is accused of being ”too friendly with female students” and ”selling a colleague’s textbook to students, a practice the university had outlawed.” Wale attributes all what he’s facing to ”politics of the system.”

Rightly, the blurb concludes that Wale’s faith in God and ”an unyielding spirit of perseverance” are the steps he mounts to overcome the winds of adversity.

So, like Karl Marx, the legendary German co-founder of Scientific Socialism, whose bronze memorial he gazes at in an unnamed European city, Professor Jones becomes ”a man who faced his fires and emerged remade,” ready to change his defective system as Marx attempted to.

Now, in view of an opening poem that predicts ultimate victory for the voyager ”Because He that stillest the noise of the Seas”, is with the explorer, it may be tempting to dismiss Professor Ope-Davies’ Winds Against My Sails as a simplistic literary contraption primed from the beginning for a happy end, regardless of the protagonist’s tumultuous killer adventures. That would be an unbalanced ruling that misses the Olympian plot of Opeibi’s epic. He brings his story under a roof of sweeping flashbacks, critical commentary, history (ancestral and contemporary), objective philosophy, Biblical theology, all of which reveals the author’s catholic mind.

These are carried by a language rich in fluid prose. metaphor and semiotics.

Let’s examine, for instance, Opeibi’s capture of ‘dust’ to take the readers through their own semiotic journeys. as it were. It first appears as ”chalk dust” in Chapter One. Later, he says ”Dust rose like spirits over the playing fields…” And when Wale Jones got the new birth in Christ, we saw the dust called to action again: ”…he bent his knees on the dusty ground and gave his life to Christ.”

Thus, in the literary construct of Professor Ope-Davies’ world, there’s a sustained imagery of the lowly dust and chalk, both of which appear to have sentenced Wale to limitless and hopeless penury. Once, the lecturer is seen collapsing ”at the foot of a chalkboard.” But, to get into Divine embrace wherein is final liberation, Wale must align with ”the dusty ground” and look up to God from that lowly position. He must stoop to conquer.

Is Ope-Davies testing the waters of fiction with Winds Against My Sails after a string of acclaimed nonfiction publications, including the biographical Kumuyi: Defender of the Faith, which he wrote with co-members of the Editorial Board of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry?

This is a heuristic quest with the possibility of turning in a new-look Tunde Ope-Davies.