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EDUCATION stakeholders have told senior secondary school students that a strong secondary school foundation and sustainable mentorship by teachers and parents are vital for a successful and productive university education.

The stakeholders said this in Lagos at a workshop organised by the Girls in Charge (GIC) Foundation for selected SS3 students from over 40 secondary schools in Lagos State during the week.

The founder of the foundation, Victory Oyakhilome, noted that the annual project, now in its third year and themed ‘Empower to Succeed 3.0: Raising Excellent Students’, aimed to empower, encourage, mentor, and support students who are about to write external examinations like WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and JAMB to further their education to the tertiary education level.

‘Through the project, we teach them how to make better career choices, the relevant skills to learn, and the right courses to study and how to excel in them,’ Oyakhilome said.

The GIC boss said that they have heard testimonies from their past beneficiaries who have excelled in these eternal examinations, even scoring high in the JAMB examination, adding that they would keep the initiative up for the sake of the students.

The project manager of the foundation, Mary Anuoluwapo Alaka, described the project as a movement that believes in the power of education, the strength of dreams, and the boundless potential of every student.

Alaka noted that while the students are destined for greatness and capable of becoming who they want to become, they need to be equipped with the right tools and knowledge to navigate the journey ahead.

‘Success is not just about what we achieve, but about who we become in the process. So, students, dream fearlessly, believe unshakably, and pursue relentlessly. You are the leaders of today,’ she said.

A panel moderated by Chidera Nzeako had Favour Ehikwe, Esther Adebayo, and Oluwamuolamide as panellists.

The panel, discussing ‘How to navigate life in the university’, urged the students to study the courses they like and will do well in, and not study a course because their friends are studying it.

They advised the student to put in the best work and the best version of themselves in their studies and other meaningful activities in the university or other tertiary institutions they find themselves.

As dust is yet to settle over the recent structures demolished by the Lagos State Government at the Trade Fair Complex along Lagos – Badagry Expressway, developers and occupants of structures within the complex seemed to have been abandoned by their landlord – the federal agency that gave them the authority to build.

The latest worry bordered on the two-week ultimatum issued them by the Lagos’ State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, urging them to approach it to regularise approval status of their buildings in line with extant regulations.

Nigerian Tribune reports that caution is required in order not to send wrong signals to the investing public.

While some of them affected traders claimed to have secured approval to build from the Federal Ministry of Housing, settlement experts, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on the matter, said the federal agencies lacked authority to grant building approval on building development in the state, going by the 2003 Supreme Court judgement on physical planning matters.

The settlement experts, popularly known as town planners, have urged developers and occupants of structures within the complex to approach the Lagos State Government for planning permit or building approval.

Their advice is hinged on the 2003 Supreme Court judgement which empowers states to regulate physical development within their territories, including federal lands.

Expert’s view

Speaking on the matter, former Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and former President, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Dr. Moses Ogunleye, said that following the 2003 Supreme Court ruling on physical development matters, federal agencies lacked authority to regulate on physical development matters in all the states of the federation.

In a situation like the Trade Fair Complex and FESTAC Town in Lagos, he said the Federal Ministry of Housing or the Federal Housing Authority can only give what he called ‘Clearance’, while referring the allottees or applicants to the Lagos State authority for planning or building approval.

He said: ‘What has happened after the Supreme Court judgement, and what FHA and the then Federal Ministry of Work were doing was to give clearance. They are supposed to give clearance , Lagos State government will now give approval.

‘This is trying to say that you want to build on our land, we know you and then look at your drawings and capture it.

‘Another example is in WEMABOD Estate. If you are building anywhere in the estate like Adeniyi Jones, Oba Akran roads, WEMABOD will look at your drawings and give you clearance. It is that clearance you will take to the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority for approval.’

Ogunleye, who is this CEO, MOA Planners Ltd, warned developers and build owners in the Trade Fair Complex not to rely on approval from FHA or Federal Ministry of Housing.

He said: ‘The town planners in FHA know that what they can give is just the clearance – just to identify that we know you are there.

‘Every developer knows that he or she needs to contact the Lagos State Government for permit or approval.

‘Why I am worried is that the buildings at Trade Fair are not just one, but many. Number two is that they served notice or contravention notice to say we are going to demolish. People should be sure of what the law says because ignorance of the law is not an excuse

‘All the developers and building owners need to do is to regularise and Lagos State government will give abridged approval, and they would be allowed to develop.’

‘I don’t think any of those buildings have been there pre- 2003 Supreme Court judgement . Many people know the law, they just want to work against the law,’ Ogunleye said.

Traders’ view

When visited the complex, the Chairman, Association Progressive Traders, Trade Fair Complex, Eric Ilechukwu, told Nigerian Tribune that all buildings demolished in the complex by the agency from the Lagos State Government had approval from the Federal Government ‘s agency in charge.

He urged that both the state and the Federal governments should sit at a roundtable and settle their differences, instead of inflicting pains on his members.

‘They should settle their matter and convey their resolution to us; we are ready to abide.

‘We are traders and investors, we are ready to comply.This is not the time in the history of the country to witness such destruction/ demolition.

‘Trade Fair Complex was opened in 1977. This is 48 years, so what has suddenly changed now.

‘We can’t fight government, let the two authorities meet and resolve their matter, we are ready to comply,’ Ilechukwu said.

He alleged that they building owners were not served notices before the demolition.

When approached, officers at the Trade Fair Management Office, said that most development in the complex had approval from then Federal Ministry of Work, now Ministry of Housing.

FHA’s response

When contacted on the matter, Spokesperson at the Federal Housing Authority, Lagos, said the agency has no jurisdiction over the Trade Fair Complex but FESTAC Town.

Efforts to have the Director of Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Badamosi, speaks on the matter proved abortive as he failed to pick his calls.

Another View

Also, Former President of ATOPCON, Muyiwa Adelu, said that whatever happened at the Trade Fair Complex had to do with the implementation of the Urban and Regional Planning Law.

‘When that law is implemented, everybody knows his role,’ he said.

He cited the Supreme Court ruling that gave the Lagos government authority on planning issues.

‘Not only lagos, the judgement gave all states authority to implement planning laws in there state.

‘The law still standing till today. So the federal government can’t give permit to any building development. It’s an aberration for affected persons to say they got permit from the federal government.

‘Lagos State Government cannot argue on land ownership, but planning permit. Developers and building owners along the corridor must get planning permit from the Lagos authority’

He described development in the Trade Fair Complex as ‘massive’, arguing that one can’t have such huge development without planning approval.

‘You cannot do commercial development without parking space and resolving sanitation issues.

So they need to regularise with the state government so that there businesses can thrive. Sanitation issues

‘My take is that, the state government must be approached and the permit should be issued . Those that don’t fall under urban renewal issue should go,’ Adelu said.

Latest issue

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has given all developers and occupants of structures within the Trade Fair Complex a two-week ultimatum to approach the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to regularise the approval status of their buildings in line with extant regulations.

Besides, the state government called on all residents and stakeholders to cooperate with its ongoing efforts to ensure a safe, well-planned, and sustainable Lagos for all.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner of Physical Planning and Urban Development in the state, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide.

The state government , in the statement, reiterated its zero tolerance for illegal and unapproved developments within the complex, Ojo, pending full compliance with planning regulations and the attainment of a safe, orderly, and sustainable physical environment.

He pointed out that the Trade Fair Complex, over time had degenerated into an enclave of haphazard and unsafe structures, posing grave risks to public safety and emergency response.

The commissioner said that government’s action was in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11 – ‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’ – and the state’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda.

According to him, government acted strictly within its constitutional and statutory mandate, as derived from the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act 1992, as domesticated by the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2019, and reinforced by the Supreme Court Judgment of 2003 (Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation).

‘These legal instruments empower states to regulate physical development within their territories, including federal lands, except for areas under exclusive federal use such as military formations,’ he said

‘For clarity, the commissioner said that land ownership and title are not in contention at the Trade Fair Complex, explaining that the ongoing enforcement focused solely on the approval status of physical developments, ‘as every structure in Lagos State must obtain a valid planning permit from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in accordance with the law.’

The commissioner for physical planning in the latest statement said: ‘The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to attempts by certain political actors, particularly of South-East extraction, to misrepresent facts and discredit the ongoing enforcement at the complex.

‘Such actions are populist, ill-motivated, and aimed at scoring cheap political points, rather than advancing the cause of public safety and sustainable development,’ the commissioner said

He affirmed that the administration of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu remained firmly committed to promoting an orderly, inclusive, liveable, and sustainable physical environment.

This commitment, he said underpinned urban renewal and redevelopment efforts across the state, which have necessitated the removal of illegal structures in several locations, including:

Pelewura Market, Lagos Island – predominantly occupied by Yoruba traders; Bombata Market, Lagos Island – predominantly occupied by Yoruba traders; LSDPC Low-Cost Housing Estate, Ilasan, Eti-Osa – largely allotted to Yoruba occupants; Otumara, Ebute Metta – mainly occupied by people of Ilaje origin; Alaba Rago – predominantly occupied by Hausa traders; and Oluwole Market, Lagos Island – dominated by Yoruba traders.

‘Furthermore, it is on record that several States in the East such as Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo State have also embarked on demolition of identified Illegal structures for the purposes of flood control mitigation efforts, urban renewal or master plan enforcements. All carried out by the respective governors without taints of ethnic coloration attached. Why should that of Lagos State be different?

‘It is, therefore, disingenuous and divisive for anyone to resort to ethnic sensationalism whenever enforcement actions involve structures owned or occupied by individuals of Igbo extraction. The Lagos State Government will not be drawn into political grandstanding and urges those fanning ethnic sentiments to desist and instead focus on addressing the pressing socio-economic issues within their constituencies. The actions of the Lagos State government are always guided by the Law,’ the statement read.

While Africa’s giant sits on a fortune of oil and gas, its citizens live by the hum of a generator. But amidst the gloom, a few sparks of a solar revolution are showing a brighter path forward as evidence of Real Hope.

In Nigeria, the day often begins not with an alarm clock, but with a question: is the generator on? For 200 million people, life is a daily dance between diesel, darkness, and dwindling hope. The national grid, a fickle beast at the best of times, seems to have taken a permanent vacation, leaving businesses to sputter and homes to fall silent.

It is a national tragicomedy of the highest order. A nation blessed with some of the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves cannot keep the lights on. Our leaders, meanwhile, seem to be operating on a different power source altogether. Critics say the nation’s leadership appears distracted-some even accusing key officials of focusing more on future political ambitions than on fixing today’s power failures. In one instance, public commentary in Oyo State highlighted frustrations that political aspirations often take precedence over service delivery.

This dependence on fuel we can’t reliably provide has left us choking on fumes and frustration. The question is no longer if we need a new way, but whether we have the courage to flick the switch.

Amidst the national gloom, a few sparks are catching. In Oyo State, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration is engaged in a radical act of common sense: using the sun.

Quietly, without grand pronouncements, solar mini-grids are sprouting in villages like Ajia, Otefon, and Agbaruru-places long forgotten by the central grid. These aren’t just infrastructure projects; they are lifelines. Solar-powered streetlights are pushing back the darkness in markets and on bridges, allowing commerce to thrive after dusk and making streets safer for everyone. Solar-powered boreholes deliver clean water without the daily clatter and cost of a diesel pump.

This isn’t a perfect solution, but it is something far more important: proof of concept. Oyo is demonstrating that a decentralised, sun-powered future is not only possible but practical. It’s a simple equation: sun plus panel equals progress. It seems some have finally done the maths.

If Nigeria needs inspiration, it need not look far. We should really take lessons from our neighbours. Consider Rwanda, a nation that has overcome an unimaginable history to become a leader in clean energy. With a clear target of universal electricity access by 2030, Rwanda is aggressively diversifying with solar, hydro, and bioenergy, proving that political will can triumph over limited resources.

Then there is Singapore, an island so small it makes Lagos look like a continent. With no natural energy resources to speak of, it is a masterclass in ingenuity born of necessity. Singapore harvests sunlight from every available surface-rooftops, building facades, and even vast floating farms on reservoirs. Their goal of hitting 2 GWp of solar capacity by 2030 is a stunning rebuke to anyone who claims a lack of space or resources is an excuse for inaction.

Nigeria has the necessity in abundance; it’s the ingenuity that seems to be on backorder.

So, must we wait for the government to see the light? Absolutely not. True change in Nigeria has always bubbled up from the ground. Here’s how to start:

Declare War on Waste. That flickering incandescent bulb? It’s a traitor. The humming freezer from 1988? An enemy of progress. Switching to energy-efficient appliances isn’t just about saving naira; it’s a patriotic act to reduce the strain on a grid already on life support.

Become a Sunlight Evangelist. Demand more from your leaders. Ask why your local clinic isn’t covered in solar panels. Agitate for policies that make renewables cheap and accessible. Make ‘solar’ the most popular word at your next town hall meeting.

Guard the Gridlet. Those new mini-grids and solar streetlights in your community? They’re gold. Protect them, maintain them, and treat them like the lifeline they are. A little community ownership goes a very long way.

Nigeria can continue its toxic relationship with fossil fuels-a romance that gives us blackouts, pollution, and international pity. Or we can look up.

The sun that beats down on our land isn’t a curse; it’s a promise. The path being lit by Oyo, Rwanda, and Singapore shows that a renewable future isn’t a utopian dream but a matter of political will and collective action. Real national dignity isn’t found in barrels of oil we export, but in the simple, profound power of a light that always switches on for our own people.

Amofin Beulah Adeoye

About the Author:

Amofin Beulah Adeoye is a legal and financial expert with international recognition for his work in forensic accounting, governance, and philanthropy. A First Class Law graduate from the University of Ibadan and a certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), he previously served as Financial Advisory Partner at Deloitte and Touche West Africa, where he led forensic services until his withdrawal in August 2024 to become active in political and community development efforts in Nigeria, for which he now has significant following and has received both local and international awards for his contributions. He maintains affiliations with multinationals across Europe, Asia, the US, and Africa spanning sectors such as healthcare, financial services, energy, logistics, and real estate. Adeoye is actively engaged with the Nigerian diaspora, and has facilitated strategic dialogues with community stakeholders across the globe and leads several philanthropic initiatives through the Beulah Adeoye Foundation.

In the heart of Nigeria’s economic engine room, a quiet but consequential war is being fought, a war not of guns or politics, but of control. On one side stands the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the formidable labour body representing thousands of oil and gas workers. On the other side is the Dangote Group, led by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, whose 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery is poised to redefine, or perhaps dominate, Nigeria’s petroleum landscape.

This is no ordinary industrial dispute. It is a struggle over the soul of Nigeria’s energy economy, over the balance between private capital and public interest, and the preservation of workers’ rights in a sector too vital to be monopolised.

NUPENG’s Stand: Rights are non-negotiable. At the heart of the standoff lies the alleged refusal of the Dangote Refinery to recognise unionism among its workforce. NUPENG accuses the company of blocking union activities, intimidating potential members, and breaching Nigeria’s labour laws that guarantee the right to freedom of association.

Union officials claim that efforts to register refinery workers and tanker drivers under NUPENG have been frustrated. Workers reportedly face subtle threats for aligning with labour movements, while management insists that union membership ‘is a personal choice.’

Recall that one of Nigeria’s foremost lawyers, Femi Falana, SAN, once said that any company or employer who denies workers this freedom is acting outside the law and against the democratic spirit of the nation

For NUPENG, anything that contradicts this position is untenable. Under Nigeria’s Trade Union Act (Cap T14, LFN 2004), all junior workers in an organisation are automatically deemed members of the appropriate trade union unless they opt out in writing. Section 40 of the Constitution further guarantees workers the right to freely associate.

NUPENG’s President, Prince Williams Akporeha, has vowed that the union will not fold its arms while a new corporate empire attempts to roll back decades of hard-won workers’ rights.

The Bigger Fear is that this is monopoly in the making. Beyond the question of union rights lies a larger fear, the growing concentration of power in Nigeria’s oil sector. With its massive refining capacity, expansive logistics network, and over 4,000 CNG-powered tankers, the Dangote Group now controls almost every link in the petroleum value chain: refining, storage, distribution, and retail.

NUPENG warns that this structure represents the embryo of a private monopoly. The union fears that if unchecked, Dangote could replicate his dominance in cement and sugar industries where competition has virtually disappeared and prices remain high despite earlier promises of affordability.

‘We cannot allow a repeat of the cement story in oil,-Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG General Secretary. Dangote dismisses such fears as unfounded, arguing that over 30 other refinery licences have been issued by government, and that his refinery is meant to complement, not dominate, the market.

Yet the optics tell a different story. The refinery’s scale and vertical integration have already created a structural imbalance that smaller marketers and tanker owners fear they cannot survive.

Echoes from cement and sugar industries are cautionary tales. This is not unfamiliar territory for Nigerians. When Dangote Cement rose to prominence in the early 2000s, it was celebrated for reducing import dependence. But as competitors faded, the market narrowed and prices climbed.

The same story played out in the sugar industry, where government import restrictions designed to encourage local production instead entrenched Dangote’s dominance, leaving smaller producers struggling.

The lesson, according to NUPENG, is clear: Monopoly, whether public or private, always comes at a cost. Today, the risk is that Nigeria’s newly deregulated oil sector could be quietly reconsolidated under one private empire.

Current Effects: Labour Unrest and Market Anxiety. The standoff has already triggered shockwaves across the industry. In early September 2025, NUPENG threatened a nationwide strike, accusing the Dangote Refinery of ‘anti-labour practices.’ The move, backed by PENGASSAN, raised fears of fuel scarcity and price instability.

The DSS and the Federal Ministry of Labour intervened, brokering a temporary truce. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed, guaranteeing workers the right to unionise within a given period.

Yet many within the labour movement doubt the sincerity of Dangote’s concession, seeing it as a temporary appeasement to buy time until his market dominance is irreversible.

Meanwhile, smaller marketers report restricted access to supply, delayed allocations, and rising logistics costs symptoms, they say, of an emerging one-gate control over Nigeria’s oil economy.

Legal and Constitutional Stakes. At stake are not just workers’ rights or business interests, but the rule of law itself. If the Dangote Group continues to limit union activity or dominate market access, it risks violating Nigeria’s trade, competition, and labour laws.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA, 2019) prohibit monopolistic practices that ‘prevent, restrict, or distort competition.’ Any conduct that ‘amounts to abuse of a dominant position’ can attract penalties, including forced divestment or fines.

No nation deregulates only to replace a public monopoly with a private one.To do so would betray the very philosophy of a free and fair market economy.

An Appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: See Beyond the Immediate It is within this context that I join NUPENG and all advocates of economic justice in calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act decisively.

The Tinubu administration has championed market reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and downstream liberalisation. Yet those reforms must not pave the way for private monopolisation disguised as efficiency.

The Federal Government must; Enforce competition laws under FCCPC and NMDPRA frameworks; Protect small and medium marketers from exclusionary practices; Ensure full recognition of NUPENG’s union rights at the Dangote Refinery as well as Diversify refinery licensing and crude access, preventing any single entity from controlling the entire value chain. ‘No economy thrives when one man becomes the market.’-NUPENG

President Tinubu must look beyond the excitement of a local refinery and see the long-term danger of allowing a single titan to dictate prices, access, and opportunity.

The Future: What Is at Stake If left unchecked, Dangote’s dominance could rewrite Nigeria’s economic DNA shifting the nation from public monopoly to private empire.

Workers could lose their bargaining power, smaller firms could collapse, and government itself might one day negotiate not with an industry, but with an individual.

If fairness and competition prevail, Nigeria’s deregulated market will thrive. But if silence and complicity endure, the nation may soon find itself in a refined version of economic feudalism, where the refinery becomes the new fortress of power.

The Last Wall Standing

NUPENG’s battle with Dangote seems not just a union struggle; it is a national test of will.

Can Nigeria build a capitalist economy that is competitive yet compassionate, dynamic yet democratic? In an era where power increasingly resides in private hands, NUPENG stands battered but unyielding as the last wall between monopoly capital and the Nigerian worker. I called on the government must choose: Between an open market that empowers millions or a private monopoly that serves a few; between workers’ dignity- or corporate dominance; between a refinery for the nation or a nation at the mercy of one refinery. History, as always, will remember who stood where.

Dr. Rotimi Olulana is a former governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State. In this interview with BOLA BADMUS and JEPHTHAH BAREYEI, he speaks on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, the gains and losses recorded in the journey to nationhood. He also speaks on the two years of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declaring that the country can still attain its potential with the right leadership. Excerpts:

Nigeria just marked its 65th independence anniversary on October 1. Looking at the journey so far, how pleased are you with the journey so far?

To me, I will say thank you to the Lord because I believe that it is by the grace of God that we are all alive today. Fortunately, enough, the 1st of October 1960 was my birthday, so when you are talking to me about Nigeria’s Independence, you are talking to the child of independence. So, it is through the grace of God that I am alive today to witness the 65th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, and I believe that every Nigerian, no matter what level you find yourself, should be happy to witness this day. Then, I would like to say that it is true that we have gone through a lot of trauma, that is, ups and downs of leadership system – different leadership of the country – however, I believe Rome wasn’t built in a day, I believe it is a gradual step, some will come and put all their efforts to make it work. If you look back, you will see that we have a series of military governments before the advent of civilian government. The military government that we have experienced right from 1960, we had one that was led by General Aguiyi Ironsi. After Ironsi, we had some crises that brought in General Yakubu Gowon at the end General Yakubu Gowon. We had the civil war when General Gowon came in, and we were able to enjoy some kind of peace. After that, we had other series of governments like the one led by General Murtala Muhammed, which was quite brief, you know, but the few months he spent in power, I think every Nigerian appreciated what he was doing.

And following that, we had General Obasanjo’s government. Obasanjo’s government tried to put things right but to me, as much as I can see what really happened during this period of years, I can tell you that Gowon’s government was able to do a lot of things that one can physically see today, just like I can also say categorically that the Ibrahim Babangida’s government which came later equally tried its best. I can say categorically that they have all tried. I can say that the government of General Yakubu Gowon, General Murtala Muhammed, which later metamorphosed to Obasanjo’s regime, offered good leadership to the country. Then we had another civilian government at the time that was led by Alhaji Shehu Shagari; his government equally tried to do a lot of programmes, most especially his Green Revolution, and so on. But I think the governments that have come, they’ve all tried one way or the other to put things right, but I want to say congratulations to the then government of Western Nigeria because that is the government that one can say had done perfectly well and one can physically see those projects on ground till today, and I am referring to then government of Western Region headed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. With the few years he has spent in power up till today, no one can doubt his integrity. He was a very sound leader and a man who had the ambition of becoming the president of the country, but was not able to get there. I say congratulations to his then government because we can see what Chief Awolowo did when he was in charge of the leadership of the Western Region. So, to me, I believe that everything that has a beginning will always have an end.

In specific terms, what would you regard as the gains, the benefits, since Nigeria gained independence from the British government?

Well, I can say that educationally, we have been able to move forward, because it is the foundation, and that is why I am referring to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s government in the then Western Region. He was the one who introduced free, qualitative education, and that was part of what I enjoyed because I remember I benefited from the primary education, which was introduced by Chief Awolowo. Remember also that during the Second Republic, the same thing was also introduced in the states controlled by the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), led by Chief Awolowo. And that’s why the Western Region, whether in the 1950s or the 70’s under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, had been able to have sound, qualitative, free education, and that is one of the benefits which I and several others had been part and parcel of. And it is a gain that today we can say that when we look at the educational advancement of the nation, the Western Region carries the flag; it is an achievement.

Ibrahim Babangida would have been the number one president in Nigeria today, but he collapsed his entire sweat through the nullification of the June 12 election. He would have been the best president ever produced in Nigeria, as far as I am concerned, because I remember vividly how he ran that government and what was going on in the country. We were able to see things happen economically, physically, infrastructure-wise, and the establishment of different institutions of learning. Go back to records, Ibrahim Babangida was the best, but the nullification of the June 22 election won by the Late MKO Abiola became his administration’s albatross, and that is why he became the worst leader ever produced because he refused to announce Abiola the winner of the best election that ever took place in the country. But I think recently we can all see the outcome because he had been able to come out and tell the whole world that Abiola was the winner of that election. Unfortunately, there is no justice in our land.

At Independence, every Nigerian was full of hope that Nigeria was going to be better with their leaders being in control instead of the colonialists. They expected a lot of developments and a lot of things that would happen so that Nigerians would become a transformed country, but have we achieved much 65 years after?

What I can say in that respect is that we have not been able to make a solid achievement that we are supposed to make, but that is not the wrongdoing of Nigerian leadership, no!

So, who do we blame for that?

The colonial masters who brought the so-called Independence are the real people, not only Nigerians. What they have done is totally against the development of every country in Africa because they programmed it. They made sure that people who were educated, well-enlightened, were not allowed to take over leadership of the country; it’s all about all their operational systems. They have their eyes on our resources, and that is the bottom line. They are far interested in how to rake our resources from us; they are not interested in the development of our country in any form, they are after those who can listen to them and carry out their own plans. These are the people they allowed to get to the leadership positions in the country.

Should we still blame the colonialists 65 years after, and is what you described still going on now?

Indirectly, can I tell you? Indirectly, it is still going on. If you look at France, it colonized some countries, such as Niger, and so on. You can see what those countries are doing now. The young people who came up in those countries, even though they were not elected, discovered that these colonial masters had no good plan for their countries, and this is why they disagreed totally to allow them (colonial masters) to be in control of their resources anymore. So, if in Nigeria, if tomorrow we can be able to do the same thing, I can assure you that there will be a tremendous achievement if we have honest leadership, people who are dedicated to the progress of Nigeria. The colonial masters, with their evil machinations, have put their plans and programmes into process, which they are following diligently because what they are after is what they can rake from our countries in Africa. So, the white people do not have an interest in the development of your Individual countries in Africa.

But they achieved some infrastructural development in Nigeria before independence in 1960?

They were able to put up leadership that had no standard education to diligently follow the progress and development of the land. They put their puppets, that is what they succeeded in doing against Nigeria, and we are all witnesses. Today, really, I don’t want to go deep into that because it might look as if it is a tribal statement. But no, we all know the truth, we know what is happening, we understand the system. They believed that they should give power to the group that would ensure their plans and programmes would continue to manifest in every system or whatever system of government, whether military or civilian, so that was what they did to us.

Before the 1966 coup, from your statement, the Western Region was moving ahead, based on the type of system that was in place then. Now, as of today, things are not working right, and people are actually calling for the reintroduction of the parliamentary system. Is that the way out for Nigeria, and how do you think we can achieve that?

Well, I am not part of those who believe that a system of government is our problem; the system of government is not our problem. Our problem is dishonesty, selfishness, which bedeviled the hearts of those who have access to leadership of the country; that is our problem. It is not the system, yeah! If you are determined to be a committed leader to the progress of your society, or whatever level of leadership you find yourself, if you determined to be honest, if you determined to be dedicated to the progress and success of your society, nobody can push you around, you will follow the trend of the kind of leadership that can give the best to your society. But if you follow the trend that you met on the ground, which is, get there and have your master, whom you are reporting to, then they give you the guide on how to go about it. So when you have about N10 billion to spend as a local government chairman, then in that N10 billion, it may mean that you have to go and give N6billion to the man who put you in that seat. This is because most of the people you are seeing today who find themselves in the position of governorship or whatever level of government were sponsored by one political leader here and there, through godfatherism. Before you know what is happening, what is left in your kitty out of N10billion is N2billion or N1.5billion, and you will have to take your own share, and that is why there is nothing left for society to develop the community, because you have little to spend.

So, what you are saying is that this lack of development has nothing to do with the presidential system of government or the parliamentary system of government?

It has nothing to do with all that; it is all about leadership, that is, the person in the seat of power. If we have a good president, assuming Chief Awolowo emerged as one or someone in that class, the country would be better run.