Category: Nigerian Tribune

Convener of the Sanitary Pad Media Campaign (SPMC), Anikeade Funke-Treasure, has urged parents and stakeholders to start teaching boys about menstruation early, saying this will help them develop empathy and become better supporters of women and girls.

Funke-Treasure, who made the call at an SPMC virtual meeting on ‘Including Boys in Menstrual Health Conversations: The Indian-Nigerian Conversation,’ said menstruation should not be treated as an issue exclusively for girls and women, as boys would eventually become husbands, fathers, brothers, colleagues, supervisors, and policymakers.

According to her, educating boys early would promote empathy, respect, and healthier attitudes towards menstruating and menopausal women.

She stressed the importance of men as caregivers, noting that husbands and brothers could be among the first to recognise when women close to them experience health challenges such as fibroids or endometriosis.

‘That’s why it’s important for us to speak with the boys, to have empathy, to be able to care for us and to understand what we’re going through as menstruators,’ she said.

Funke-Treasure said male involvement was also necessary to push menstrual health issues into the ‘formal corridors’ where policies and major decisions were made.

She said SPMC had moved beyond distributing sanitary pads to advocacy, education, and behavioural-change campaigns through podcasts, drama, radio programmes, essay competitions, and community events. The campaign, she disclosed, had reached more than 10,000 girls and supported girls and women with disabilities through supplies to institutions in Ibadan and Jos.

A counselling psychologist, Samiran Ghodmare, said family attitudes, school environments, and societal behaviours strongly shape how boys understand menstruation.

Reflecting on his childhood experience of being discouraged from asking questions about menstruation, Ghodmare said such silence leaves boys uninformed and can influence how they later respond to girls and women.

He added that gender stereotypes that teach boys to suppress pain and emotions could make it difficult for them to understand the physical and emotional experiences associated with menstruation.

Ghodmare advocated inclusive puberty education in schools, where boys and girls can learn together, saying early education would help nurture empathetic and informed men willing to support women and girls.

He also urged society to broaden menstrual health conversations to cover women’s health across the life course, including menopause, while calling for more research and public awareness.

Funmi Olorunmola, founder of the Citizen Participation Advancement and Awareness Initiative (CPAAI), said menstruation should not be treated as a secret. She recounted an incident in which a girl stayed away from school for two weeks after being mocked by boys following a menstrual accident.

Olorunmola introduced the ‘INCLUDE’ framework-‘Informed, Normalised, Collaborative, Lead by example, Understand, Distribute resources, and Empowered’-as an approach to engaging boys in menstrual health conversations and challenging stigma.

She said fathers, male teachers, and community leaders should actively support menstrual dignity by helping distribute menstrual products and advocating for better understanding.

Public health researcher at the University of Glasgow, Dr Sagarika Limaye, cited research showing that although many boys have incomplete knowledge of menstruation, they are often curious, sympathetic, and willing to learn.

Limaye said menstrual health education should address not only the biology of menstruation but also the stigma and social attitudes surrounding it.

She cited WHO/UNICEF school data indicating that only 39 per cent of schools provide menstrual health education, stressing the need to consider who actually receives such education.

Limaye urged educators to teach boys that menstruation is normal, encourage questions without shame, and promote empathy and respectful responses. The goal, she said, is not for boys to experience menstruation but to understand and support those around them who do.

The Kogi State Government has proposed a social investment package estimated at about ?8.55 billion, targeting 281,750 beneficiaries across the state’s 21 Local Government Areas.

The Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning and Chairman of the Kogi State Commissioners’ Forum, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, disclosed this in a summary of proposed beneficiaries and cost estimates for various Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs).

The proposal covers social transfers, livelihood support, climate-smart public works, community infrastructure, agricultural inputs, and the expansion of the State Social Register.

Under the Social Cash Transfer Unit (SCTU), DLI 1.1 is expected to benefit 5,000 people across the 21 LGAs at a projected cost of ?1.237 billion.

Another SCTU component, DLI 1.3A, targets 15,000 beneficiaries for livelihood support across the state, with an estimated cost of ?2 billion.

The Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) component, under DLI 1.5A, is projected to engage 3,400 beneficiaries across the 21 LGAs in climate-smart public works at a cost of approximately ?1.088 billion.

Similarly, the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), through DLI 1.4A, is expected to support basic community services and infrastructure. The program proposes 1,000 beneficiaries per community across the 21 LGAs, with an estimated cost of ?2.072 billion.

The FADAMA component, covering DLI 2.1 and DLI 2.3, is projected to benefit 7,350 people across the state through support for agricultural inputs and assets at an estimated cost of ?1.854 billion.

Meanwhile, the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU), under DLI 4.1 and DLI 4.2, is expected to cover 250,000 beneficiaries across the 21 LGAs through the expansion of the State Social Register. The component has an estimated cost of ?300.55 million.

The proposed interventions are expected to strengthen social protection, improve livelihoods, support vulnerable households, promote climate-smart employment, and boost agricultural activities across communities in Kogi State.

Kogi State Government has commenced a statewide sensitisation campaign aimed at protecting workers and workplaces against kidnapping, banditry and other security threats across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Comrade Onuh Edoka, disclosed this during a one-day sensitisation meeting on workplace security held at a Local Government Secretariat as part of activities scheduled from August 31 to September 14, 2026.

The programme, themed ‘Workplace Security: Prevention, Protection, Sensitization and Preparedness Against Banditry and Kidnapping,’ is designed to equip workers, employers, labour unions and other stakeholders with strategies for preventing and responding to security threats.

Edoka said the initiative was necessary because insecurity had become a major threat to workers, productivity and economic development, noting that employees in schools, hospitals, transportation and other critical sectors increasingly face security risks while performing their duties.

He said organised labour, particularly the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), had consistently raised concerns over the impact of insecurity on decent work and the safety of workers.

According to him, the scale of insecurity requires a collective response involving government, employers, labour organisations, workers and security agencies.

Edoka highlighted measures taken by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration to strengthen security in Kogi State, describing them as a model that could be adapted to workplace security.

He cited the establishment of the 21 Battalion Barracks in Anyigba, the deployment of Forest Guards, acquisition of security equipment, integration of vigilantes and hunters into the security architecture, establishment of a Quick Response Unit and deployment of combat drones as some of the measures taken by the administration.

He also noted the collaboration between Kogi and neighbouring states, particularly along vulnerable border corridors, as crucial to tackling crimes that transcend state boundaries.

The Special Adviser said the state government’s approach demonstrated the importance of political will, investment in security infrastructure, community participation, inter-state collaboration and support for victims of criminal attacks.

He explained that the workplace security campaign would be anchored on four key pillars: prevention, protection, sensitisation and preparedness.

On prevention, Edoka urged workplaces to conduct regular security audits, strengthen perimeter fencing, control access to premises, verify employees and visitors, and maintain close contact with security agencies.

He said protection would involve strengthening security arrangements in schools, hospitals, offices, factories and other workplaces, while ensuring that emergency response plans, evacuation routes and direct communication channels with security agencies were established.

The Special Adviser further called for greater security awareness among workers, urging them to identify and report suspicious activities and observe personal safety measures while travelling to and from work.

He said workers would also be trained on internal workplace security, first aid, emergency response and community intelligence sharing.

On preparedness, Edoka stressed the need for workplaces to have clearly defined emergency response procedures and conduct regular security drills and simulations.

He also advocated the establishment of emergency communication networks and rapid response structures at the local government level.

Edoka urged employers to treat workers’ safety as a core responsibility and invest adequately in security infrastructure.

He appealed to labour unions to partner with government in sensitising their members, while urging workers to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements and activities to relevant authorities.

He also commended security agencies for their sacrifices and assured them of continued government support through equipment, logistics and intelligence.

The Special Adviser declared that the state government would not be intimidated by criminals, stressing that a secure environment was essential for workers to perform effectively, businesses to thrive and investors to have confidence in the state.

He called for sustained cooperation among government, labour, employers, communities and security agencies to ensure safer workplaces, roads and communities across Kogi State.

Similar visits have been made to Kabba Bunu and Ijumu, Okehi and Adavi Local Government Areas.

The Toyin Falola Interview’s discussion on witchcraft in Africa has now taken place, and it has left us with a more difficult question than the one with which we began. The pre-interview piece prior to the panel discussion addressed the intellectual question: how should one comprehend witchcraft in relation to African philosophy without simplifying it into the framework of superstition, irrationality, or backwardness? The basic argument is that African societies have created their own interpretation of prosperity and misfortune, of illness and wellbeing, life and death, power and morality, and such an interpretation cannot be dismissed merely because it contains certain realities that cannot be empirically observed. The distinguished members of the panel confirmed the intellectual idea, but took it further as well. Once beliefs about invisible powers are translated into accusations against visible human beings, the question is no longer only what a society believes. It becomes what that belief permits society to do.

This distinction is important because witchcraft has too often been approached as though the central task were to determine whether witches exist. Professor Godwin Sogolo’s intervention offered a useful way out of this familiar argument. Human societies, he reminded us, possess explanatory systems through which they make sense of experience. Scientific explanation asks how something happens: what physical, biological, or mechanical processes produced an event? Witchcraft explanation, in the traditional African context he described, may ask another question: why did this happen to this particular person, at this particular time? The two questions are not necessarily competing. They emerge from different ways of organizing experience. The collapsed structure of a building has physical causes; the question of why it collapsed when particular people were beneath it introduces another dimension of explanation.

This is perhaps one of the most important lessons from the conversation. It asks us to resist the temptation to measure every African explanation of reality against the standards of modern science and then declare one rational and the other irrational. The earlier piece argued that the African intellectual tradition did not always construct an absolute wall between the visible and invisible worlds. The panel strengthened that position. Professor Sogolo was not asking us to replace science with witchcraft. Nor was he asking us to prove the existence of supernatural powers. His argument was more modest and intellectually useful: different systems of explanation may be attempting to answer different questions. But once this distinction has been made, another question immediately follows. What happens when an explanation ceases to be an abstract interpretation of misfortune and becomes an accusation against another human being?

This is where the conversation became considerably more urgent. Dr. Claire Ayelotan shifted the center of the debate from the metaphysical question of invisible power to the social consequences of naming a person as the source of that power. Her intervention introduced a distinction that may ultimately prove more important for contemporary discussions of witchcraft than the question of whether witchcraft itself exists: the distinction between belief and accusation. A person may believe in unseen spiritual forces without identifying another human being as responsible for a particular misfortune. Respect for a religious or cultural worldview does not require society to accept every accusation made in its name. This changes the location of the debate. We can leave the metaphysical question open and still confront the social one. We may never reach an agreement about what exists in the invisible world, but we can reach a moral and legal agreement about what one human being is permitted to do to another. This is perhaps the point at which an intellectual conversation about African cosmology becomes a conversation about citizenship, justice, and human dignity.

The sequence described by Dr. Ayelotan is disturbing precisely because it looks so ordinary. Something painful happens, a family searches for an explanation, and suspicion begins to attach itself to a person. The suspicion is repeated, then a respected voice confirms it. An audience receives it. Eventually, what began as uncertainty acquires the appearance of knowledge. The accusation becomes a story, and the story becomes a verdict. Violence does not necessarily begin with the machete or the fire. It can begin much earlier, when an unverified suspicion is given a name, repeated often enough, and placed within a narrative that makes the accused person appear responsible for somebody else’s suffering. The significance of this sequence extends beyond witchcraft. Human societies have always needed explanations for misfortune. Death demands an explanation. Sudden wealth demands an explanation. Failure demands an explanation. Infertility, illness, poverty, unemployment, family conflict, and unexpected success all create questions that are not always satisfied by a statement of physical causation. Why this person? Why this family? Why now? Why did one person prosper while another remained poor? Why did one business succeed while another collapsed? Why did one woman have children while another did not?

The panel repeatedly returned to these questions. Professor John Azumah’s discussion of northern Ghana showed how accusations can emerge within conditions of economic inequality, competition, changing family relations, unemployment, scarcity, and struggles over social status. A person’s success may become suspicious precisely because others cannot explain it within the circumstances they share. A woman who becomes economically independent may become a target. A widow may become vulnerable because she lacks protection. A family dispute may acquire a spiritual vocabulary. Even drought and poor harvests can become occasions for locating blame in an individual. The accusation, therefore, may tell us less about the supernatural object being accused than about the society making the accusation. This was one of the most productive shifts in the conversation. To ask ‘Who is the witch?’ may be less revealing than asking ‘Why this person?’ and ‘Why now?’ Who benefits from the accusation? Who loses property? Who loses social standing? Who becomes isolated? Whose success has become intolerable? Whose poverty requires an explanation? Whose death has created anger that must be directed somewhere?

Once these questions are asked, witchcraft begins to reveal the architecture of social anxiety. This does not mean that every accusation is secretly about land, inheritance, jealousy or economic competition. The panel was careful enough not to reduce the phenomenon to one explanation. But it does mean that beliefs operate within particular social environments. They acquire force through relationships, institutions, histories and inequalities. Professor Grace Sintim Adasi therefore argued that witchcraft accusations should be studied within the broader contexts of gender, age, poverty, widowhood, family conflict, Christianity, modernity and social change. Gender is particularly revealing. The figure of the witch has frequently been attached to women, especially older, widowed or economically vulnerable women. Their bodies, their age, their voices, their behavior and even their independence can become interpreted through suspicion. The accusation can therefore become another language through which existing inequalities are expressed. It is not necessarily the belief alone that creates vulnerability; it is the social position of the person who becomes available for suspicion.

Professor Azumah pushed this argument further by describing witchcraft accusations as a form of gendered social control in some communities. His observation that women constitute the overwhelming majority of inmates in the witch camps he studied in northern Ghana forces us to consider the relationship between supernatural narratives and structures of power. The ‘witch,’ in such circumstances, is not merely a character in a cosmological system. She becomes a socially vulnerable body upon which fear, resentment, patriarchy and conflict can be projected. Yet there is an additional paradox that the discussion brought sharply into view.

Modernity has not necessarily weakened the language of witchcraft. Indeed, it has sometimes provided it with entirely new worlds in which to flourish. Urbanization, education, technology, migration, economic competition, and globalization have revolutionized African societies; however, uncertainty remains. Sometimes, indeed, they have contributed to its creation. The terminology changes, while uncertainty remains.

Christianity in particular poses a challenge in this regard. While there was no denying of the belief in spiritual power on the part of the Africans by the missionaries, modern Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity provides the theological vocabulary to understand the old African belief in spiritual powers, including concepts such as spiritual warfare, deliverance, demons, curses, and ancestors. Professor Adasi referred to this phenomenon as paradoxical, inasmuch as Christianity denies some traditional practices but believes in invisible powers affecting human affairs. This should make us cautious about any easy story of modernization. The old assumption was that science, education, urbanization and technological advancement would progressively dissolve beliefs in invisible powers. But the conversation suggests that the opposite may sometimes occur. Modernity can produce new forms of uncertainty, inequality and competition, and those conditions can generate new demands for explanation. Witchcraft does not necessarily survive because modernity has failed. It can survive because modernity itself creates experiences that people still struggle to explain morally and socially.

This brings us back to the central question with which this conversation should leave us. The issue is not simply whether Africa believes in witches. Africa is not one intellectual community, and witchcraft is not one uniform category. The earlier discussion already established the difficulty of translating diverse African concepts of hidden power into one English word. What the panel has now demonstrated is that the more consequential question may lie elsewhere. What happens when a society converts uncertainty into accusation? That is the point at which the invisible acquires a visible victim. And once a person has been named, belief acquires consequences. A mother can become an enemy. A child can become a source of danger rather than someone requiring protection. An older woman can become a repository for the frustrations of a community. A successful neighbor can become an object of suspicion. A widow can lose her home. A family can be permanently divided. A reputation can be destroyed even when no physical violence occurs. The accusation can become a social sentence long before it becomes a legal one.

This is where the conversation moves beyond the intellectual history of witchcraft and toward a question that belongs urgently to the present. How do stories acquire authority? How does suspicion become knowledge? Who gives an accusation an audience? Who repeats it? Who legitimizes it? And what institutions are capable of interrupting it before it becomes violence? Those questions take us directly into the world of media. Bear in mind that witchcraft stories have never existed only in the shrine, the household or the village. It has always travelled through stories, performances, religious instruction and popular imagination. But in the contemporary African world, the means of travel have changed dramatically. The television screen, the film, the sermon, the radio program, the YouTube channel, the WhatsApp group and the social-media post can carry an accusation far beyond the community in which it began. The next question, therefore, is no longer simply what Africans believe about witchcraft. It is what the media does with that belief.

Recently, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, requested the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to review the existing three-letter location code, ‘QRW’, assigned to Osubi Airport in Delta State, with a view to adopting a code that more accurately reflects the airport’s official name and geographical identity.

The request has opened an important conversation about how airports are named, identified and positioned within Nigeria’s evolving aviation landscape.

At first glance, the issue may appear to be simply about three letters on a ticket, boarding pass or reservation system. But airport codes and names can carry significant geographical, commercial and psychological implications.

In the case of Osubi, the debate touches on a broader question: who and what should an airport represent; the community where it is physically located or the city, region and economic centre it primarily serves?

The assumption that an airport must necessarily bear the name of the town or community where its runway and terminal are located may appear logical. However, global aviation practice shows that this is not always the case.

Airports are frequently named after major cities, metropolitan areas or economic centres even when they are physically located outside those cities. This is largely because an airport is more than the land on which its infrastructure is built. It is a transportation gateway serving a wider population, commercial centre, metropolitan area or economic corridor.

In Nigeria, there are already examples where the commonly used airport identity is not necessarily limited to the immediate locality in which the airport is situated. The Asaba airport is not precisely in Asaba, but in a neighbouring Okpanam town, in Oshimili North LGA of Delta State.

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), for instance, is located in Ikeja, but its identity is strongly associated with Lagos, the metropolitan and commercial centre it serves.

Similarly, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) is identified with Abuja, although the airport is outside the central urban area of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Margaret Ekpo International Airport, in Calabar provides a different example, as the airport and the city with which it is identified largely correspond.

The practice is even more pronounced internationally. Newark Liberty International Airport is physically located in Newark, New Jersey, but it is an important airport serving the wider New York metropolitan area. John F. Kennedy International Airport is located in Queens, New York City, yet its identity is primarily associated with the city and metropolitan region it serves.

London Stansted Airport is another example. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, but is marketed and recognised as one of the airports serving London. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is located in Roissy-en-France, outside the city of Paris, while Milan Malpensa Airport is situated in Ferno, in the province of Varese, rather than within Milan itself.

These examples demonstrate that an airport identity is not always determined strictly by the municipality in which the runway is located.

However, the airport in question is physically located in Osubi, but it has historically been associated with Warri Airport. Warri is the more known commercial and economic centre within the axis served by the airport and has long been the reference point for many passengers, businesses and aviation stakeholders using the facility.

The airport serves an area whose economic importance extends well beyond its immediate host community. The Warri axis remains an important economic corridor in the Niger Delta, with significant oil and gas activities, businesses, contractors, professionals and other commercial interests.

For many travellers unfamiliar with the geography of Delta State, ‘Warri’ is likely to be a more immediately recognisable destination than ‘Osubi’. That distinction matters in modern aviation, where passenger convenience, destination recognition and commercial visibility are increasingly important.

Meanwhile, communities that provide land for airports and other major aviation infrastructure often bear environmental, social and infrastructural consequences associated with such facilities. They may contend with land-use restrictions, increased traffic, noise and other impacts while receiving relatively little recognition for their contribution. It would therefore be unfair to suggest that the geographical identity of the host community is irrelevant. The challenge is finding a model that recognises both realities.

One practical approach could be to preserve the established identity of the major city or economic centre while clearly acknowledging the physical location of the airport, for instance, through a formulation such as ‘Warri Airport, Osubi’ or ‘Osubi (Warri) Airport’.

In the end, an airport is not merely where an aircraft lands. It is a gateway to a city, a region and an economy. Its identity should reflect all three.

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) has been appointed by Air France-KLM as its ticketing General Sales Agent (GSA) in Nigeria, expanding the aviation services company’s role in the commercial representation of the European airline group.

Under the five-year agreement, NAHCO, through its subsidiary NAHCO Travel and Hospitality Limited, will sell Air France-KLM tickets to travellers and travel management companies across Nigeria.

The appointment represents a new commercial arrangement between the two companies and goes beyond the services previously provided by NAHCO to the airline group.

Under their previous arrangement, NAHCO managed Air France-KLM’s Airport Ticket Offices (ATO) at the terminal as part of the Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA) between both parties.

The new GSA agreement is separate from the ground handling arrangement and gives NAHCO a wider commercial mandate covering City Ticketing Office sales and retail ticket distribution throughout Nigeria.

The development marks an expansion of NAHCO’s activities beyond its traditional aviation handling business.

NAHCO has built its aviation business around services, including ramp handling, cargo processing, passenger handling and baggage services. The Air France-KLM agreement adds a direct ticketing and sales function to that portfolio.

Through NAHCO Travel and Hospitality, the company will now be responsible for selling tickets on behalf of the carrier across the Nigerian market.

The move fits into NAHCO Group’s strategy of expanding into higher-value aviation services and strengthening its position within the wider airline commercial services market. It also gives the company a larger role in the relationship between Air France-KLM and the Nigerian travel trade.

Speaking on the appointment, NAHCO’s Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, Prince Saheed Lasisi, described the agreement as a milestone in the longstanding relationship between both organisations.

He said the move from airport terminal ticketing under the traditional SGHA to full commercial ticketing authority across Nigeria demonstrated the confidence Air France-KLM had placed in NAHCO’s corporate capabilities and market reach.

Lasisi said, ‘Moving from airport terminal ticketing under the traditional SGHA to assuming full commercial ticketing authority across Nigeria demonstrates the immense trust Air France-KLM places in our corporate capabilities and market reach.’

The five-year duration of the agreement gives NAHCO a long-term mandate to handle Air France-KLM ticket sales and distribution in Nigeria.

The appointment is also significant for NAHCO Travel and Hospitality, which now takes on a more prominent role in airline sales and distribution.

General Sales Agents typically serve as an airline’s commercial representatives in markets where they are appointed, handling activities such as ticket sales, trade relationships and distribution.

For NAHCO, the new mandate creates an opportunity to use its established presence in the Nigerian aviation and travel market to support Air France-KLM’s commercial activities.

Nigeria is one of the largest aviation and travel markets in West Africa, making effective local sales and distribution an important part of an international airline’s commercial strategy.

The agreement is expected to strengthen Air France-KLM’s commercial presence and distribution network in Nigeria.

The airline group will leverage NAHCO’s local market knowledge, corporate infrastructure and relationships with travel management companies and other industry stakeholders.

For Nigerian travellers and travel agencies, the arrangement places NAHCO Travel and Hospitality in a more direct position within the sales and distribution chain for Air France-KLM tickets.

The partnership also gives NAHCO an opportunity to deepen its relationship with the travel trade beyond its traditional airport-based operations.

The company said the agreement would support Air France-KLM’s commercial agility in West Africa’s largest market while helping the airline group improve its reach among Nigerian travellers and travel management companies.

The Air France-KLM appointment comes as NAHCO continues to broaden its business beyond conventional ground handling. For Air France-KLM, the arrangement provides a local commercial partner with established knowledge of the Nigerian aviation and travel market.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday resumed hearing on the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and officials of the party’s primary election committee presenting evidence on the emergence of Dr Olumuyiwa Daramola as the winner.

The case, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, arose from a challenge to the conduct and outcome of the APC primary election, as well as the alleged subsequent substitution of Daramola’s name as the party’s candidate for the constituency.

At the resumed hearing, INEC, through its representative, confirmed that the commission monitored the primary election conducted by the APC and received the result declaring Daramola the winner.

The electoral body also tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the result before the court, providing documentary evidence of the outcome recorded at the primary.

The Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Election Committee for Ondo State, Hon Harry Iboroma, was also called to testify on the conduct of the exercise and the declaration of the result.

Iboroma told the court that, as chairman of the committee responsible for conducting the primary, he announced the result after the votes cast by the aspirants had been collated.

He further swore to an affidavit in which he affirmed that the lawful votes collated at the primary produced Daramola as the winner.

The Collation Officer for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency primary, Hon Wale Ogunmade, subsequently gave the court a breakdown of the votes recorded by the aspirants.

Ogunmade testified under oath that Daramola polled 6,547 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the incumbent, Hon Jimi Odimayo, who scored 827 votes.

The figures presented before the court showed a substantial margin between Daramola and his closest challenger, with the result forming a major part of the evidence relied upon in determining the dispute over the primary.

In addition to the oral and documentary evidence, video footage showing the announcement of the primary election result was played before the court.

The evidence presented by the electoral commission and the APC officials was consequently placed before the court for consideration alongside the arguments of the parties in the suit.

The proceedings focused on the validity of the primary election result and the events surrounding the recognition of the candidate for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency.

After the parties had presented their arguments and the court had considered the evidence before it, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter for judgment and ruling.

The court fixed October 19, 2026, for the delivery of its judgment and ruling on the case.

Daramola dragged Odimayo to court over the outcome of the primary, challenging the decision of the National Working Committee of the APC confirming Odimayo as the party’s candidate.

Addiction is called a brain disease because repeated use of drugs changes the way the brain works. It is not simply a matter of weak willpower. Research has shown that addictive substances affect the brain’s reward system, especially the dopamine reward pathway, which controls pleasure, motivation, learning, and habit formation.

When someone repeatedly uses drugs, the substances hijack the brain reward system responsible for the experience of pleasure. The patient also begins to lose interest in normal activities such as eating, spending time with family, working, or achieving personal goals. This is why many people find it extremely difficult to stop using drugs without proper treatment.

Addiction can also be genetic or secondary to psychiatric disorders or become physical illness. A person’s environment, emotional well-being, and life experiences also play important roles. Individuals who grow up in environments where drugs are easily available or who struggle with depression, anxiety, trauma, or low self-esteem have a higher risk of developing substance use disorders.

Because addiction involves changes in the brain, it is a medical condition that can be approached through appropriate psychiatric intervention and other psychosocial care, counseling, medication, and rehabilitation.

What changes occur in the brain that makes addiction so difficult to overcome?

Addiction affects several parts of the brain, not just one area. Repeated drug use changes important brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin, which regulate mood, pleasure, motivation, and behavior. Over time, the brain adapts to these substances and begins to depend on them to function normally.

Genetics also contributes significantly. Some people naturally have a higher risk of becoming addicted because of inherited traits. When these genetic factors combine with repeated drug use and environmental influences, the likelihood of an individual developing addiction increases. This explains why addiction is regarded as a complex brain disorder rather than a personal weakness.

In Nigeria, substances such as tramadol, codeine, cannabis, and methamphetamine are commonly abused. Which of these causes the greatest psychiatric problems?

Every psychoactive substance has the potential to cause serious harm. Rather than focusing on one particular drug, it is important to understand that different substances affect the brain in different ways. Some stimulate the brain, others slow it down, while some distort perception and thinking.

One major concern among psychiatrists is the increasing number of patients who develop psychotic symptoms after using drugs. Sometimes these symptoms appear shortly after drug use, but in many cases, drug use reveals an underlying mental illness that had previously gone unnoticed. As a result, many patients are diagnosed with both a substance use disorder and another psychiatric condition.

Another growing concern is polydrug use. Many young people no longer use a single substance. Instead, they combine drugs such as tramadol, codeine, cannabis, alcohol, and other substances to produce stronger effects. These dangerous mixtures often referred to as ‘cocktails’, greatly increase the risk of severe mental illness, overdose, and other serious health complications.

Is drug abuse limited to certain social or economic groups?

No. Drug abuse affects people from every social class. Treatment centres receive patients from wealthy families, professional homes, religious backgrounds, and low-income communities alike. Addiction does not discriminate based on occupation, education, or financial status.

The internet has also contributed to this growing challenge. Young people now have easier access to information about different drugs, making experimentation more common. Unlike in the past, when many people started with alcohol or tobacco before progressing to stronger substances, some young people now begin directly with cannabis, methamphetamine, or other highly addictive drugs. This changing pattern has made substance abuse more widespread and difficult to control.

Many young people believe cannabis is natural and therefore harmless. What is your opinion on this?

That belief is misleading and can be dangerous. Although cannabis is a plant, being natural does not automatically make it safe. Many naturally occurring substances can be harmful to human health.

Cannabis has been linked to several mental health problems, particularly psychosis. The risk is even greater for individuals who have a family history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. Research has also shown that long-term cannabis use may lead to structural changes in the brain, including reduced brain volume. These changes can affect motivation, memory, concentration, and decision-making.

In addition to its effects on mental health, cannabis can also harm physical health. Regular smoking increases the risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, while prolonged use has also been associated with reproductive health problems in both men and women. For these reasons, cannabis should never be regarded as harmless simply because it is natural.

What signs should parents look out for if they suspect that their children may be using drugs?

Parents should pay close attention to noticeable changes in their children’s behaviour and daily routines. One of the earliest warning signs is increased secrecy or withdrawal from family activities. A child who suddenly becomes unusually private or avoids communication may require closer attention.

Another important sign is a sudden decline in academic performance or a loss of interest in school and other responsibilities. Parents should also watch for changes in appearance and behaviour, such as wearing sunglasses indoors, using strong perfumes to hide unusual smells, or having unexplained marks on the body that could suggest drug injection.

While these signs do not automatically confirm drug use, they should encourage parents to have open conversations with their children and seek professional help if necessary.

Some young people claim that cannabis or alcohol helps them study better or improves their concentration. Is this claim true?

Some drugs may temporarily make a person feel more alert, relaxed, or focused. However, these effects are short-lived and can be misleading. With continued use, these substances gradually reduce memory, concentration, motivation, and the ability to make sound decisions.

Although users may believe they are performing better, the long-term effects are harmful and often interfere with learning, productivity, and emotional well-being. There is no scientific evidence that regular drug use improves academic performance over time.

When depression, anxiety, and addiction occur together, which usually comes first?

There is no single answer because the relationship works both ways. Some people already have mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety and begin using drugs in an attempt to cope with emotional distress. Others develop anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric problems after prolonged substance use.

Mental health challenges can begin at a very young age, even before someone starts using drugs. This is why every patient should receive a proper mental health assessment to determine the underlying cause and provide the most appropriate treatment.

If addiction is a medical condition, why are many people with substance use disorders arrested instead of receiving treatment?

This reflects a major weakness in the current system. Addiction should be treated as a health condition rather than simply a criminal offence. Unfortunately, many individuals with substance use disorders are punished instead of being offered psychiatric care and rehabilitation.

Where a person has committed a criminal offence, the legal process should continue, but this should be combined with appropriate medical treatment. Addressing both the legal and health aspects of addiction offers a better chance of recovery and reduces the risk of future drug-related problems.

Why do we condemn drug use on one hand, yet drugs are often glorified in music, movies, and social media?

This is largely due to weak enforcement of existing policies. When celebrities and social media influencers portray drug use as fashionable or desirable, they indirectly encourage young people to experiment with drugs. Although regulations exist, they are often not properly enforced. Stronger monitoring and responsible media representation are essential to reduce the normalisation of drug use.

Some people argue that individuals have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies, including using harmful substances. What is your response?

From both medical and ethical perspectives, protecting life and health remains a priority. Substance use that threatens a person’s well-being should never be viewed simply as a personal choice without consequences. Healthcare professionals have a responsibility to provide treatment and support for individuals struggling with addiction, rather than ignoring the problem.

What is the biggest misconception Nigerians have about drug addiction?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that addiction results from poor character or lack of discipline. Many people rely on rumours, social media, or misinformation instead of seeking advice from qualified healthcare professionals.

The truth is that addiction is a complex medical condition with biological, psychological, and social causes. Effective treatment requires professional assessment, counselling, rehabilitation, family support, and, where necessary, medication.

How common are drug-related psychiatric cases in your clinical practice?

Drug-related mental health problems have become increasingly common. A large proportion of patients seen in psychiatric clinics today have substance use disorders or mental illnesses that are directly or indirectly linked to drug abuse. This highlights the growing burden of substance use on Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Have you encountered any particularly memorable cases of addiction?

Yes. One of the most heartbreaking experiences involved a young person from a well-educated and financially stable family. The case demonstrated that addiction does not discriminate. Regardless of a person’s educational background, occupation, or social status, anyone can become addicted if the risk factors are present. It also showed how difficult recovery can be once addiction becomes severe, reinforcing the importance of early prevention and treatment.

Is addiction common among professionals?

Yes. Addiction affects people across every profession. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, military personnel, law enforcement officers, and many other professionals have all been treated for substance use disorders. Addiction should therefore be seen as a public health issue that affects society as a whole rather than a problem limited to a particular group.

Some people believe that drug users are arrested while those responsible for supplying drugs often escape punishment. What is your opinion?

Tackling drug abuse requires addressing both the demand for drugs and their supply. As long as illegal drugs remain easily accessible, substance abuse will continue to increase. Effective enforcement should therefore target both drug traffickers and users, while ensuring that individuals living with addiction receive appropriate medical care.

The Osun State House of Assembly has passed the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) Establishment Amendment Bill 2026 into law, with the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, saying the legislation would strengthen the institution and promote greater public interest in its development.

The bill was passed during plenary on Thursday following a motion moved by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Adekunle Emmanuel, and seconded by Hon. Sanmi Areoye, representing the Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West State Constituencies, respectively.

Egbedun, while speaking on the passage of the bill, said the amendment would provide a stronger legal framework for the effective administration and development of the state-owned university.

He said the legislation would also create room for experienced personnel within the university system to contribute their expertise towards improving the institution.

According to the Speaker, the amendment would encourage more people to bring their experience and knowledge to bear on the growth of the university.

‘The bill will inspire others to contribute to the development of the institution,’ he said.

Egbedun added that the amendment would bring a series of benefits to UNIOSUN and further enhance its capacity to meet the educational needs of the state.

Before its final passage, the Assembly dissolved into a Committee of the Whole to undertake further consideration of the bill.

During the consideration, members made corrections and amendments, which were incorporated into the final version of the legislation.

The Speaker explained that the remaining administrative processes would be concluded before the final copy of the bill is produced.

He said the legislation would subsequently be forwarded to Governor Ademola Adeleke for his assent, in line with the legislative process.

The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Ebonyi State has stepped down for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, ahead of the 2027 general election.

The State Chairman of the NNPP, Chief Ifeanyi Ojeogu, announced the adoption in Abakaliki when he led party leaders and members to the PDP secretariat to declare their support for Odii.

Ojeogu said the party took the decision because of Odii’s pedigree and the impact he made across the state during the 2023 elections.

The NNPP chairman explained that while the party has its own structure in the state, it had resolved to queue behind Odii to rescue Ebonyi from the APC-led administration.

‘We are not collapsing into PDP. When you see something good in your neighbour’s home and you need that thing, you go close to that person either to beg him or to support him to get it,’ Ojeogu said.

‘This is exactly what we have done by endorsing Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the PDP governorship candidate. As far as the 2027 governorship election is concerned, we the NNPP have resolved and adopted Ifeanyi Odii.’

He added that Odii demonstrated capacity in 2023 and remains the best option to ‘recover Ebonyi State’ in 2027.

Responding on behalf of Odii, Chief Mark Onu, Youth President of the Odii Support Group, assured NNPP members of equal treatment in the PDP.

He urged them not to be deterred by alleged threats against the opposition by the APC-led administration in the state.

‘There is nothing you can do on earth to silence a courageous man because for you to be courageous, you must be determined,’ Onu said.

‘We are determined to recover Ebonyi State. We are determined to work hard to make sure that Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii becomes the governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.’

He said the PDP would do everything lawful to protect its members and supporters, stressing that the party remains committed to providing credible alternatives for the people.

Political observers described the NNPP endorsement as a major boost for the PDP ahead of 2027, noting that opposition parties in the state are beginning to close ranks against the ruling APC.