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Bankole: Nigeria’s Political System Flawed

An Egba high chief and father of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Alani Bankole, has described Nigeria’s political system as flawed.

Speaking with newsmen at his Oluwo residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking his 85th birthday, he said political leaders should be judged by their competence and performance rather than their ethnic origins.

He said the country’s political discourse had become too focused on the ethnicity and geographical origins of political leaders.

‘Our system is flawed; it is bad. We should concentrate on performance, ability, and the ability to do things, not where somebody comes from,’ he said.

According to him, political leadership should not be determined by whether a candidate is from a particular ethnic group, stressing that Nigerians should focus on what leaders can deliver.

‘After all, we’re all sons of Adam and Eve. Why does it matter today whether somebody is from Igbo or from Yoruba?’ he asked.

Bankole said the preoccupation with ethnic representation had distracted Nigerians from issues of governance and development.

‘Let us talk about performance. Let us forget about things,’ he said.

He argued that competence should take precedence over ethnic considerations, noting that political systems in other countries had increasingly accommodated people from different ethnic backgrounds in positions of leadership.

Bankole, who is the Apena of Egbaland, cited Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom and the first Black person to lead the party, as an example.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, who is the leader of the Conservative Party today in England? Where is she from? Who is talking about that in England? Why are they not saying she is a Black person and they don’t want her? That’s why I said our system is bad.

‘What does it matter to me if the person who is going to be my governor is an Egun person, which is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Ogun State, if he is going to perform?’ he asked.

The Egba chief also criticised what he described as the practice of imposing political candidates on the people, saying political leadership should not be reduced to ethnic calculations or political sponsorship.

Bankole said his own experience had shown that ethnic considerations should not determine personal relationships or political choices.

He cited marriages within his family involving people from different ethnic groups.

He further called for an end to what he described as unnecessary ethnic rivalry, saying Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as an asset rather than a basis for political exclusion.

Udo-Obong rewards teen sprinter after 50.95-second run

Olympic champion Enefiok Udo-Obong has presented 17-year-old Iyanuoluwa Aderemi with a ?500,000 cash reward after she clocked 50.95 seconds in the women’s 400m at the 2026 Dynamic Athletics Meet, comfortably beating the 51.80-second qualifying standard he had set.

Aderemi, who hails from Akoko, Ondo State, ran the time at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos, setting a personal best in one of the standout performances of the meet’s third edition. She received the reward on Wednesday at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Udo-Obong, a member of Nigeria’s gold medal-winning 4x400m relay team at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, had pledged ?500,000 each to the male and female 400m winners who met his stipulated standards of 45.50 seconds and 51.80 seconds respectively.

Presenting the reward, Udo-Obong urged Aderemi to treat the run as the start of a longer development process rather than a peak, pointing to the 2027 season as her next target. He also called on stakeholders in Nigerian athletics to rally behind promising talents and give them the support needed to progress to the highest level.

The presentation was witnessed by Dynamic Athletics Meet founder and CEO Olabanji Ayegbusi, Aderemi’s coach Adeleye Ogunmakinju, veteran coach and former national head coach Armelia Edet, Lagos State Athletics Performance Director Abiodun Ibrahim, and Lagos State athletics coach Bamise Emmanuel.

Udo-Obong currently serves as Technical Adviser to the Saudi Arabia Athletics Federation. He was Technical Director at the African U-18 and U-20 Athletics Championships in Abeokuta and at the Niger Delta Games in Benin City, Edo State, earlier this year.

The Dynamic Athletics Meet, first held in 2024, provides a platform for young and established athletes to compete alongside one another.

Obi under attack over Anambra debt

The dispute over the financial legacy of Peter Obi’s eight-year administration in Anambra State has moved to the centre of the 2027 presidential campaign.

The Presidency yesterday challenged the former governor to honour a pledge to stop campaigning if evidence emerges that he left the state with outstanding liabilities.

The latest exchange was triggered by figures released by the Anambra State Government showing eight external loans which it said were contracted during Obi’s tenure and still had an outstanding balance of $92.35 million, equivalent to about N127.37 billion as of June 30.

Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), was Anambra governor between 2006 and 2014.

He maintains that he left the state without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractor liabilities and that he liquidated more than N35 billion in inherited arrears before leaving office.

The dispute has also revived a longstanding controversy over what Obi handed over to his successor, Willie Obiano, in March 2014.

These include claims of over N75 billion in savings and investments, plus a separate N2.13 billion that Obi said was set aside for erosion control

Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said on his verified X handle: ‘Peter Obi claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt and even threatened to quit the presidential race if his claims were proven otherwise.

‘Now, the Anambra government has confronted him with facts and figures showing he owed Water Corporation workers, teachers, and pension and gratuities, and had also borrowed for frivolous things.

‘The ball is back in his court. Will he follow through on his threat by quitting the race?’

The Presidency’s intervention followed the release by the Anambra Government of details of the loans it attributed to the Obi administration.

The challenge places the former Anambra governor’s own words at the centre of the controversy.

Obi had invited the state government or anyone else to produce evidence showing that he left debts or unpaid obligations.

‘If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning,’ he declared.

The Presidency’s position is that the documents released by the government amount to evidence contrary to Obi’s claim.

Obi’s camp, however, has rejected the attempt to turn the dispute into a test of his presidential candidacy.

The Anambra government, through Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said that eight external borrowings associated with projects under the previous administration remained outstanding.

According to the figures released by the state, the original value of the eight facilities was $123,771,179.30, while the outstanding balance as of June 30, 2026, was $92,353,182.

Using the official exchange rate, the government put the outstanding balance at N127,372,049,434.12.

The loans listed by the state were for programmes covering malaria control, agriculture, healthcare, education, community development, erosion management and agricultural value-chain development.

They include the Malaria Control Booster Project; Third National Fadama Development Project; Health System Development Project II; Malaria Control Booster Project (Additional Financing); State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP); Community and Social Development Project; Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP); and Value Chain Development Project.

The largest outstanding balances listed were $37.34 million for SEPIP and $34.86 million for NEWMAP.

The state said the outstanding balance on SEPIP was about N51.50 billion, while NEWMAP had an outstanding balance of about N48.08 billion.

Other balances included about N6.18 billion for the Malaria Control Booster Project, N6.03 billion for the Third National Fadama Development Project, N2.82 billion for Health System Development Project II, N4.37 billion for additional malaria financing, N5.11 billion for the Community and Social Development Project and N3.28 billion for the Value Chain Development Project.

The figures released by the state are consistent with the broad position that Anambra continues to carry external debt associated with projects approved during or around the period of previous administrations.

The Debt Management Office maintains records of sub-national debt stocks, although determining precisely which administration should politically be credited or blamed for every outstanding balance requires examination of the loan agreements, disbursement dates and repayment schedules.

The Anambra government itself acknowledged that borrowing is not necessarily evidence of financial mismanagement.

Mefor said no government could realistically operate without borrowing and argued that loans used for productive projects could be justified.

‘Debt, especially for bankable projects and human capital development, is justifiable,’ he said in the statement.

The government’s argument is therefore not simply that Anambra borrowed money, but that Obi’s assertion that he left the state without debt or financial liabilities is inconsistent with the loan records it has published.

The distinction is important because several of the facilities were multilateral development projects rather than conventional commercial-bank loans.

World Bank documentation, for example, shows that SEPIP was a results-based programme involving Anambra, Bauchi and Ekiti states, with financing tied to education-sector reforms and specified performance indicators.

Consequently, the outstanding balances do not by themselves establish that the entire amount was drawn down by Obi before he left office in March 2014.

This point has become part of the debate following an analysis circulated by Mayowa Balogun, who argued that some of the facilities were disbursed after Obi had left office.

He cited the Community and Social Development Project and Value Chain Development Project as examples, arguing that disbursements occurred under subsequent administrations.

He also questioned how much of the larger facilities had actually been disbursed to Anambra before Obi left office.

The distinction between loan approval, loan signing, disbursement and outstanding balance is therefore central to the controversy.

Obi: I left no unpaid obligations

Obi has maintained that the figures being presented by the Soludo administration do not prove that he left Anambra with unpaid liabilities.

He said his administration inherited more than N35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and systematically liquidated them.

‘At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified,’ Obi said.

He also maintained that his administration left more than N75 billion in savings and investments for the succeeding administration.

The former governor separately addressed the disputed N2.13 billion said to have been released for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.

According to Obi, the money arrived about three months before the expiration of his administration and was left untouched in a First Bank account because it was tied to the specific erosion-control project.

He challenged the state government to establish otherwise.

Soludo government disputes N2.13b

The state has now directly challenged that account.

Mefor said the First Bank account number 2018779464, which Obi identified as the account where the ecological funds were kept, was not an ecological fund account.

According to him, the account was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account.

‘We have obtained a certified printout of the account from inception to date,’ Mefor said.

‘From 2011, when the account was opened until date, there has never been any such amount, whether as inflow or balance, in the account.’

The government therefore disputed Obi’s claim that the N2.13 billion was sitting in the account at the time he handed over power.

That issue is likely to remain one of the most closely examined aspects of the dispute because, unlike broader arguments over debt responsibility, it turns on a specific bank account and transaction history.

The Soludo administration has also challenged Obi’s assertion that all salary, pension and gratuity obligations had been settled before he left office.

Mefor said the current administration had cleared about N22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers, although some legacy obligations remained.

He specifically cited workers of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation.

According to the commissioner, salary arrears involving Water Corporation workers persisted through the Obi administration and were eventually subjected to settlement negotiations under Soludo.

He said the current government had paid the first two of three agreed instalments.

The government also alleged that Obi’s administration verified and certified 16 months of salary arrears owed to primary school teachers but paid only five months.

Mefor said 11 months remained unresolved and that the state had constituted a committee headed by the Head of Service to conduct a fresh verification.

The current argument also echoes a financial controversy that has followed Obi since he departed from office in 2014.

At the time, the former governor said he handed over substantial cash and investments to Obiano.

The figure of N75 billion subsequently became the subject of competing interpretations.

Contemporary accounts of the handover controversy showed that the assets attributed to Obi included cash, investments, foreign currency-denominated securities and other balances, while the succeeding administration also identified liabilities arising from inherited projects.

A previous fact-check by the ICIR also noted that DMO records showed Anambra had external debt of about $30.32 million and domestic debt of about N3.03 billion as of December 2013.

It also found that the N75 billion figure had long been disputed and was not simply cash sitting in the state treasury.

The historical dispute is significant because the present argument is once again about whether assets and liabilities should be considered together when assessing the financial position Obi handed over in 2014.

Obi’s media office has rejected what it described as an attempt to subject him to selective scrutiny.

In a statement by spokesman Idris Zekeri Jnr., the Peter Obi Media Reach said Nigerians were being ‘too harsh’ on the former governor while allegedly applying different standards to other political figures.

‘Every word of Peter Obi is dissected. His past decisions are resurrected. Every allegation is amplified, even when disputed or needing context,’ the statement said.

The office said it welcomed scrutiny of Obi but wanted the same standard applied to all presidential candidates.

‘For emphasis, the Peter Obi Media Office encourages scrutiny of him… But for God’s sake, scrutinise everyone,’ it said.

It also dismissed the call for Obi to respond to the Anambra Government through political surrogates.

‘Peter Obi will not be dragged into endless exchanges with political proxies,’ the statement said, adding that he would continue his campaign and engagements with Nigerians.

Lira’s lost children: How Shs500 jet fuel is fuelling a crisis in Lango

“I need some Nyus worth Shs500,” says a boy of about twelve on a backstreet in Lira City, handing a piece of brown cloth to an older friend holding a bottle of clear liquid.

“I’m not high yet,” he adds.

The older boy takes the cloth without a word, dips it into the bottle for a slow count of ten, and hands it back. The younger one presses the damp fabric to his nose and mouth and breathes in.

The bottle holds jet fuel – the drug of choice for a growing population of children who have made the streets of Lira their home. They call it Nyus. It is cheap, it is everywhere, and it is quietly destroying them.

Researchers describe jet fuel not as a single chemical but as a kerosene-based cocktail of hundreds of hydrocarbons and additives. Depending on the grade and how long and often a person is exposed, the damage ranges from short-lived irritation to serious, lasting disease. Sniffed daily, as many of Lira’s street children do, the short-term high gives way to systemic harm.

Children nobody is raising

No one has an exact count of how many children survive on Lira’s streets today. The last reliable estimate, from 2020, put the number at around 200. Aid workers and local leaders believe it has only grown since.

Most arrive from villages across the wider Lango Sub-region, pushed out by poverty, domestic violence, or the fallout of HIV/AIDS. Few find real work in the city. Instead, they scavenge – collecting plastic bottles and scrap metal to sell for a few hundred shillings. To cope with hunger, exposure and fear, many turn to the cheapest drugs they can find.

Brian is one of them. Now 17, he walked from neighbouring Oyam District to Lira City at the age of 10, driven out by a fractured home.

“My mother had problems with my father. She had two men, and she claims one of them is my father,” Brian says.

“She wanted me to go and live with a man who drinks and doesn’t even have a proper house. But the man I’ve always known as my father lived in Oyam. He treated me well and gave me everything – but my mother didn’t want him raising me.”

Unable to stay in a home he no longer recognised, Brian left after his mother separated from both men.

“I ended up leaving, the same way I came – to where she now stays, in Angwetangwet, here in Lira City,” he says.

Life on the street pulled him toward what nearly every child there eventually reaches for. Hungry and unable to quiet his mind, Brian started sniffing jet fuel. He now spends around Shs1,000 a day on two bottle-cap measures.

“When I smell Nyus, I fall asleep easily. It takes my worries away,” he says. “I know it isn’t good for my health. But it’s the thoughts in my head that push me to sniff it.”

A law with little reach

Uganda has had legislation against this for more than a decade. On April 9, 2015, President Yoweri Museveni signed the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act into law.

It criminalises the recruitment or encouragement of drug use, and holds accountable anyone who manages a property used to grow, sell or manufacture narcotic substances.

On the streets of Lira, it barely registers.

Dr Andrew Odur, Senior Executive Consultant at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, says the rise in youth addiction threatens more than individual lives.

“Substance abuse among young people keeps climbing, and its effects don’t go away,” Dr Odur says.

“Getting someone off drugs once they’re addicted is extremely difficult. The real question is why so many young people are turning to drugs in the first place. Where is it starting – the school environment, the home environment? Is the city even safe for them?”

That question found some answers in a 2024 study by Francis Mukaga Macho, a final-year Public Health student at Lira University. The research found a lifetime substance-use prevalence of 56.3 percent among the 403 students surveyed, with alcohol the most commonly abused substance. It also identified a pattern of “poly-substance” use – students mixing alcohol with cigarettes or marijuana.

The strongest predictors were social: students whose friends used substances were twice as likely to use them too, while a family history of substance abuse raised the risk by 1.7 times.

When the rains fail

Drug abuse is not the only force undermining Lango’s recovery from decades of conflict. Climate change is compounding the damage.

Across the sub-region – Amolatar, Alebtong, Apac, Dokolo, Kole, Kwania, Lira, Otuke and Oyam districts, plus Lira City – families are confronting food insecurity after prolonged drought wiped out much of what was planted in the first season.

Denis Owani, an agricultural officer for Aromo Sub-county in Lira District, says the Dam Odoca solar-powered irrigation scheme has become a lifeline as rain-fed farming collapses. Maize and soybean crops failed outright this season.

“It has been extremely dry for the past three months. I looked into this with the farmers myself, and the losses have been significant,” Owani said.

Mary Adongo, a farmer in Amorigoga Village, Abongomola Sub-county in Kwania District, says the unpredictability makes it dangerous.

“When production falls, food prices rise – not just here, but across other parts of Uganda too,” she says.

Taken separately, each crisis would be a serious setback for a region still rebuilding. Together – children sniffing jet fuel to survive the street, university students sliding into poly-substance use, farmers watching harvests die – they form a pattern local leaders are struggling to break.

For now, interventions remain piecemeal: a solar irrigation project here, a hospital consultant sounding the alarm there, a researcher publishing recommendations yet to become policy.

Meanwhile, in Lira City, another child will likely hand over Shs500 for a piece of cloth and a bottle of jet fuel before the day is out.

Killings: IGP Visits Plateau, Vows To Arrest Attackers

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu, on Wednesday, visited Plateau State over the recent killings in parts of the state, assuring residents that the Nigeria Police Force would strengthen security operations and bring perpetrators to justice.

Disu, who paid a condolence visit to the Plateau State Government, said the Police remained committed to creating a secure environment, stressing that sustainable peace and development required continuous synergy among security agencies, government and communities.

Speaking during the visit, Disu said, ‘I am on the Plateau to discuss issues surrounding the killings in Mangu and other parts of the state. We are not happy with the situation, and I can assure you we have made some arrests.

‘Having gone round and engaged with stakeholders to have lasting solutions to the problem, we are intensifying community engagement and intelligence gathering to identify threats early, protect vulnerable communities and bring perpetrators to justice,’ he said.

Disu also said ‘Building trust between security personnel and communities is important, and I urge residents to provide credible and timely information to enable security agencies to prevent attacks and apprehend criminals.’

Receiving the IGP, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by his Deputy, Ngo Josephine Chundung Piyo, said, ‘We commend the Police leadership for responding promptly to the security situation and visiting the state to assess developments firsthand.

‘The visit is a demonstration of the IGP’s commitment to protecting lives and property, and the state government places a high premium on sustained collaboration with the Police and other security agencies in maintaining peace and security.’

The Deputy Governor appealed to the IGP to activate and deploy officers to the Mobile Police Barracks in Gashish, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, saying, ‘The facility has remained moribund since its establishment.’

Troops Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims, Kill Terrorist Kingpin In Katsina, Kebbi

Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (JTF NW OPFY), have rescued 31 kidnapped victims, neutralised two terrorists, including a known kingpin, and arrested two suspected terrorists in separate operations in Katsina and Kebbi states.

The operations were conducted on September 14 and 15, 2026, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Media Information Officer of JTF NW OPFY, Lt Col Aliyu Danja.

Danja said that on September 14, troops of Sector 2 responded to reports of the abduction of civilians from Unguwan Daudu and Unguwan Chibauna communities in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State.

He said the troops mobilised to intercept the terrorists and engaged them in a gun battle during a hot pursuit, resulting in the rescue of 10 victims comprising three males and seven females, including an infant.

According to him, the rescued victims were taken into the custody of the troops for further action.

The military spokesman said troops also rescued 21 kidnapped victims in Kebbi State on the same day after responding to a distress call over the abduction of civilians from Fafala Village in Kangiwa Local Government Area.

He said the troops, acting on credible intelligence, conducted a fighting patrol towards Fafala and Dandikwa, where they made contact with the terrorists.

‘Troops engaged the terrorists in a heavy exchange of fire, forcing them to withdraw in disarray,’ he said.

Danja added that subsequent exploitation of the area led to the rescue of the 21 victims, who were later reunited with their families.

He said on September 15, troops acting on intelligence about plans by terrorists to attack communities in Matazu and Kankara local government areas of Katsina State, mobilised towards an identified hideout.

The troops reportedly engaged the terrorists with superior firepower, killing two of them, including Abbah Alhassan, described as a known terrorist kingpin.

‘Other terrorists fled into the surrounding bush,’ Danja said.

Items recovered from the area included 10 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, a cutlass, camouflage clothing and Indian hemp, among other items.

The spokesman also said troops arrested two suspected terrorists in the Yantumaki general area of Dan Musa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

He said preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspects were associated with a terrorist kingpin identified as Mannori.

According to him, the suspects were in custody for further investigation.

What does the steering rack boot protect?

Hello Joan, when a technician performs routine servicing and points out that the rubber boots on your steering rack are cracked or torn, it is essential to pay attention. Although the steering may still feel normal, it can be tempting to postpone the repair. However, the steering rack boot serves a crucial protective function and should not be dismissed as merely a rubber cover.

The steering rack boot, also known as a rack gaiter or bellow, helps seal the connection between the steering rack shaft and the inner tie-rod assembly. It protects the rack shaft, inner tie-rod joint, and rack seals from exposure to harmful road dust, mud, and water. Additionally, the boot retains the grease lubricant necessary for the smooth operation of the inner steering components.

At first, a small tear may not affect steering performance. However, once the protective rubber boot or seal is compromised, contaminants can enter the rack assembly. Water and abrasive dirt can lead to corrosion and wear on the rack shaft and inner joints, while contaminated lubricant may accelerate component damage. Ultimately, this can result in steering play, abnormal noises, or even difficult steering due to a leak in the power-steering fluid.

This issue is particularly relevant for vehicles frequently driven on dusty, muddy, or flooded roads in Uganda. Ignoring a damaged boot can easily turn a relatively inexpensive preventive maintenance repair into a costly steering rack replacement.

If a technician reports a torn rubber boot during a garage inspection, it is advisable to replace it promptly and check the rack shaft, inner tie-rod joint, and seals for any existing damage. If power-steering fluid is found inside the boot, it indicates that an internal rack seal is already leaking, meaning that simply replacing the rubber boot will not resolve the issue.

In conclusion, while the steering rack boot may be a small component, it plays a significant protective role for your vehicle’s critical and costly steering rack.

Addressing a damaged rubber boot early is a wise decision that can prevent much larger repair bills in the future. Preventive maintenance is key to avoiding expensive issues down the line.

NLC seeks ‘reasonable’ wage for workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to introduce reasonable wage for workers as part of measures to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices and worsening economic hardship.

The NLC also called on the government to make sufficient crude oil available to local refineries in naira and expand the country’s strategic petroleum storage capacity to strengthen energy security.

The labour centre made the demands in a statement by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, titled, ‘Save the Situation Now,’ amid a fresh surge in petrol prices across the country.

The NLC said petrol was selling for as much as N1,430 per litre in major cities where the product was readily available, while prices were higher in less accessible areas.

It warned that the rising cost of petrol and transportation would trigger further increases in the prices of food, school fees, rents, tariffs and other essential goods and services.

‘These new costs continue to inflict or deepen poverty among the populace, stressing the quality of life to the limits,’ the NLC said.

The labour centre noted that the latest price surge came when government pressure on petroleum marketers to reduce pump prices in line with international crude oil prices appeared to be yielding results.

It, however, argued that renewed conflict in the Gulf should not leave Nigeria, an oil-producing country, exposed to external shocks.

The NLC said the proposed measures would create jobs, generate economic value and help address emerging security challenges.

‘There is nothing wrong with government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this,’ it said.

It noted that oil-producing countries had introduced various interventions and palliatives to protect their citizens from the impact of the crisis.

The labour centre also said that the government was earning between $35 and $40 per barrel above the crude oil price benchmarked in the national budget.

According to the NLC, the additional revenue translates to trillions of naira monthly and should be regarded as a windfall that could be deployed to protect citizens from worsening economic pressure.

The NLC further called for increased national storage capacity as part of measures to prepare for energy emergencies and strengthen energy security.

On the long-term outlook, the labour centre criticised the continued importation of crude by local refineries, describing the practice as unreasonable and contrary to the purpose of developing domestic refining capacity.

The NLC also warned the Federal Government against allowing petroleum marketers to impose further hardship on Nigerians in the name of deregulation.

It said the government, which is seeking re-election in the next few months, could not afford to ignore the impact of rising petrol prices on citizens.

‘A government that seeks re-election in the next few months cannot afford to stand and watch marketers inflict suffering on the citizenry in the name of deregulation,’ the NLC said.

It added that organised labour had an obligation to speak out or take appropriate action over the worsening petrol price situation.

Insecurity: Northern Students Seek Support For Agencies

The Association of Northern Nigeria Students (ANNS) has called on Nigerians to support security agencies in the fight against insecurity, saying the responsibility of protecting the country cannot be left to the military and other security institutions alone.

The students’ body also urged citizens to exercise restraint and objectivity when discussing national security matters, stressing that constructive engagement and respect for due process were necessary to strengthen the country’s fight against insecurity.

The call was contained in a joint statement signed by Comrades Baba Mahadi and Onorerama Jonshon in which the association also expressed confidence in the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd.).

ANNS said Musa had demonstrated courage, patriotism and commitment to national security since his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The association described the minister’s military career as evidence of his dedication to protecting lives and promoting peace and national unity.

‘General Musa has consistently demonstrated courage, patriotism, and an unwavering commitment to the peace, unity, and security of our nation,’ the group said.

The students argued that tackling insecurity required cooperation between security agencies and citizens, noting that members of the public had an important role to play by providing useful information and supporting legitimate security efforts.

‘Nigeria belongs to its citizens and we, the citizens, must rise to be objective in our views to face the security challenges bedevilling the nation,’ ANNS said.

The group urged Nigerians to support security institutions in carrying out their constitutional responsibilities while expressing concerns over narratives or actions that could weaken public confidence in the agencies.

It also called for peaceful engagement on security issues and respect for established legal processes, saying criticism of government and security institutions should remain constructive.

According to the association, Nigerians must distinguish between legitimate criticism aimed at improving security and actions that could undermine national cohesion.

ANNS further commended President Tinubu for appointing Musa as Defence Minister, saying the retired general had brought his experience to bear in the discharge of his responsibilities under the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The students said the minister’s experience remained relevant as Nigeria continued to face complex security challenges across different parts of the country.

The association therefore reaffirmed its vote of confidence in Musa and called on Nigerians to close ranks with security agencies in efforts to restore lasting peace and security.

It said national security should be treated as a collective responsibility requiring cooperation, responsible citizenship and support for lawful efforts to protect lives and property.

PM’s Secy. issues clarion call to private sector to step up governance

In a clarion call to step up good governance in the private sector, Secretary to Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri this week stressed that strong institutions need leaders who understand that authority carries responsibility.

Speaking at the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors’ (SLID) 25th anniversary celebrations at the Cinnamon Grand on Monday, he also shared several useful insights to the importance of good governance, leadership, and corporate success.

He said that advancing the practice of corporate governance matters today more than ever. ‘Sri Lanka is undertaking important economic and structural reforms as we rebuild from the most difficult economic crisis in our recent history,’ he said, adding ‘At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are changing businesses, institutions, and the way decisions are made.’

‘This is changing the environment in which leaders exercise judgement. Decisions are increasingly informed and influenced by data, algorithms, and AI. For directors, technology can no longer be left entirely to technical specialists.”

It has become a question of governance, accountability, and institutional responsibility,’ Saputhanthri emphasised at the SLID’s 25th anniversary celebrations chaired by Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody, past Chairpersons, and private sector leaders.

He recalled that historian and author Yuval Noah Harari has made a distinction which is particularly relevant to those who lead institutions. That is ‘As intelligence becomes increasingly abundant, wisdom becomes even more important.’

The Secretary to the Premier said that technology can provide information and generate answers, but it cannot decide what matters to us, which risks are worth taking, or what kind of institutions we want to build. Those remain matters of human judgement.

‘What if that is where leadership and governance meet?’ inquired Saputhanthri from the audience at the SLID forum.

‘Strong institutions need more than capable individuals. They need accountability, Integrity, transparency, and rule of law. They need leaders who understand that authority carries responsibility,’ he emphasised.

He pointed out that the Government’s efforts to strengthen integrity and governance are part of a wider national endeavour.

Noting that the quality of a country’s institutions is not shaped by the Government alone, Saputhanthri stressed that it is also shaped in boardrooms, businesses, and professional institutions.

‘In an age when information itself is becoming increasingly difficult to verify, trust will depend even more on the values and conduct of our institutions. This gives directors and boards a responsibility, and that extends well beyond compliance,’ he stressed. ‘It means understanding change, anticipating risks, and preparing institutions for challenges that may not yet be fully visible.’

Noting that good governance and performance are not competing objectives over time, he said that one sustains the other.

In that context, the Secretary to the Premier congratulated the SLID and its past Chairpersons for 25 years of developing directors, strengthening boards, and helping advance the practice of corporate governance in Sri Lanka.

‘This contribution has been particularly valuable through director education, leadership development, and professional forums,’ he said adding, ‘As the SLID begins its next chapter, I hope it will continue its good work.’

Saputhanthri also observed that times ahead will bring significant challenges as well as create new opportunities if enterprise is aligned with integrity, innovation with responsibility, and ambition with sound governance. This way, he emphasised that strong institutions can be built which are not totally successful but worthy of the trust placed.

‘Ultimately, leadership is measured not only by the results we achieve, but also by the strength of institutions we leave behind for those who come after us,’ he stressed.