Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS) has elected Nicodemus Olorunshola Odolo of Nisol Worldwide Investment as its new President, following a keenly contested election held in Lagos.

He takes over office from Barr. Leonard Ogamba, the former President of the association.

Odolo secured victory with nine votes, defeating Princess (Mrs.) Mulikat Fehintola Sanni of Mulifelong Motors, who polled two votes.

His emergence marks a new leadership era for SALS, as he pledged to reposition the association for greater impact in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Other executives elected during the exercise include Mrs. Ngozi Modebelu of WACTAF Association, who became Vice President unopposed after Dr. Farinto Collins Kayode of Wealthy Honey Investment stepped down. Ganni Alli Shobande of Accessport Nigeria Ltd. was returned unopposed as Secretary General, while Wilson Osim of Dangote Industries Ltd. emerged unopposed as Financial Secretary. Also elected unopposed were Mr. Ike Nwago of Multifreight Nig. Ltd. as Publicity Secretary and Barr. Remigius Uche Odoh of Maritime and Commercial Law Partners, who administered the oath of office to the new executives.

The election was conducted under the supervision of Pastor Jonah Amata, who served as the Electoral and Returning Officer.

In his acceptance speech, Odolo expressed gratitude to members of the association for entrusting him with the leadership mandate, describing his victory as a ‘collective achievement’ rather than a personal triumph. He reaffirmed his commitment to unity, promising to foster inclusiveness and collaboration among members.

‘This victory belongs to all of us. It is testimony to the power of unity and cooperation, and I believe that together we can achieve great things,’ Odolo said.

He unveiled part of his vision to strengthen SALS, pledging to take the association to national and international recognition where cargo owners will have a strong voice in maritime affairs.

Odolo further disclosed plans to tackle delays in cargo clearance at Nigerian ports, targeting a system that ensures consignments are released within 12 to 48 hours instead of months.

Acknowledging past divisions within the association, Odolo stressed the need for reconciliation and renewed harmony. ‘There may be different understandings concerning policies or issues, but when we sit together, we find unity. What happened this afternoon is proof of that unity,’ he added.

The new President assured members that his administration would immediately engage critical maritime stakeholders, including shipping companies, terminal operators, truck owners, and freight forwarders, to drive reforms that would benefit cargo owners and the nation’s economy.

With the swearing-in of the new executives, members of SALS expressed optimism that the association would witness stronger cohesion and greater relevance under Odolo’s leadership.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, refused to hear an application filed by Dumebi Kachiku against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Sen. David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Kachikwu, the 2023 presidential candidate of ADC, is seeking an order compelling INEC to, forthwith, withdraw the unlawful publication of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s names as national chairman and secretary of the party pending the determination of the suit.

Justice James Omotosho, however, declined to hear the motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025, which was brought by Dayo Akinlaja, SAN, on Kachikwu’s behalf.

‘This court is not inclined to nullify anything at this stage whether done before or now. This is a political case. I am not taking any interlocutory matter,’ he said.

Instead, Justice Omotosho held that all the processes filed by the parties, including the preliminary objections of the defence,would be taken together with the substantive suit.

All efforts by Akinlaja to have his application heard were rebuffed by the judge.

Recall that INEC had, recently, recognised Mark, the former senate president, and Aregbesola, ex-governor of Osun, as ADC’s national chairman and national secretary.

Kachikwu and others had, on July 7, filed the originating summons to challenge the purported appointment and declaration of Mark and Aregbesola as national chairman and secretary of the party.

Others in the suit include Adikwu Elias, Etimbuk Umoh, Muhammed Khala, Alaku Godwin William as 2nd to 5th plaintiffs.

They named INEC, ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

When the case was called on Friday, Akinlaja informed the court that the matter was adjourned for hearing.

The lawyer, however, told the court that a motion was filed on Sept. 19 by the plaintiff.

He said the motion was hinged on the fact that despite the pendency of the suit in court, INEC chose to recognise the leadership of Mark and Aregbesola.

In the motion, the plaintiffs sought an order setting aside the purported recognition and publication of Mark and Aregbesola’s names as chairman and secretary of ADC.

They argued that the action, having been done during the pendency of the suit and in violation of the doctrine of lis pendens.

They also sought an order of injunction restraining Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola from continuing to deal or relate with INEC in the capacity of national officers of the party.

Akinlaja, therefore, pleaded with the judge to have the motion taken but to no avail.

Shaibu Aruwa, SAN, who appeared for ADC, and other lawyers for the defence, opposed the application.

Justice Omotosho, who granted an application for joinder filed by Nkemakolam Ukandu, the deputy national secretary of ADC, made a consequential order for amendment of the suit to accommodate Ukandu’s name as a defendant.

The judge gave 48 working hours to the plaintiff’s to file their consequential amendment and seven days to the defence to respond and adjourned the matter till October 23 for hearing.

Peter Obi has outlined how the EFCC recovered loot of ?853 billion should be strategically invested to directly benefit Nigerians, insisting on transparency and accountability in their utilisation.

The former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, in a post on his X handle Friday, commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the recovery, describing it as ‘a step in the right direction.’

However, Obi cautioned that the ?853 billion was ‘just a tiny fraction of the funds looted from the public treasury by leaders,’ and stressed that ‘beyond this recovery, what truly matters is the utilisation of these funds in a verifiable and accountable manner, specifically in the critical areas of development, health, education, and poverty alleviation to benefit the people.’

The Labour Party standard-bearer said Nigerians ‘want to see impact’ and must be able to trace where and how the EFCC recovered funds are invested.

He noted that the country currently has over 20 million out-of-school children, the highest figure globally, and more than 100 million citizens living in poverty, with the situation being worse in the North.

Obi argued that if the recovered funds are properly channelled, they could significantly contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and insecurity.

‘For example, the Federal Government 2024 operational budget for Universal Basic Education contribution is about ?251.47 billion, so to triple this sum will be an additional ?503 billion.

‘The remaining ?350 billion can be shared directly to 19 Northern provinces for lending microcredit to the poor,’ Obi proposed, noting that many states have long applied for as little as ?2 billion in similar loans from development banks.

The former governor warned that the announcement should not end up as another mere record of recovery but rather mark the beginning of a new era of accountability.

‘Let this not just be another announcement of recovery. Let it be the beginning of a new era of accountability, where every kobo retrieved is turned into classrooms, hospitals, skills, and opportunities for ordinary Nigerians,’ Obi said.

Social media has become an inseparable part of our daily life, especially for Generation Z – young people born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s. While platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat provide entertainment, connection, and opportunities, they also come with significant downsides.

In this article, Tribune Online examines seven negative effects of social media on Gen Z:

1. Mental Health Struggles

Constant exposure to curated ‘perfect lives’ on social media has been linked to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem among Gen Z. Many young people struggle with comparing themselves to unrealistic standards.

2. Addiction and Reduced Productivity

less scrolling, binge-watching short videos, and constant notifications can lead to digital addiction. This often disrupts study schedules, reduces productivity, and affects real-life responsibilities.

3. Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Gen Z is highly vulnerable to online trolling, body shaming, and cyberbullying. Hurtful comments or viral hate posts can have long-lasting emotional and psychological effects.

4. Sleep Deprivation

Late-night scrolling has become common among Gen Z. Studies show that excessive screen time before bed disrupts sleep patterns, leading to fatigue, poor concentration, and reduced academic or work performance.

5. Shortened Attention Span

The rise of short-form content like TikTok videos and Instagram reels has contributed to shrinking attention spans. Many Gen Zers now struggle with focusing on tasks or consuming long-form content like books and articles.

6. Unrealistic Expectations and Pressure

From viral ‘glow-up’ challenges to luxury lifestyle posts, social media often sets unrealistic expectations. This can pressure young people into overspending, unhealthy dieting, or chasing clout for validation.

7. Privacy and Safety Risks

Oversharing personal details makes Gen Z vulnerable to scams, identity theft, and exploitation. Many underestimate how much private information can be misused by strangers or even corporations.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has urged Nigerians to unite against perpetrators of what he described as blood guzzlers and enemies of the state, following the recent killings of Yoruba natives by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Oke Ode in Kwara.

This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Oyo by the media aide to Oba Owoade, Bode Durojaiye.

The Alaafin, who noted that Yorubas and Fulanis had lived harmoniously for decades without hostility, expressed concern over the recurring violence linked to herders in Oke-Ode.

He disclosed that he had already reached out to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, on the matter and on possible measures to forestall further attacks.

The Alaafin, while commending security agencies for their commitment, urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the killings are identified and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.

He said ‘Government, political leaders and followers must have the courage and honesty to get to the root causes of our insecurity, now worsened by criminality, insurgency and terrorism by herdsmen,

‘Security should not be taken for granted. Immediate and conscious efforts must be made to design and build a robust system capable of creating a stable and peaceful environment for national development.’

Alaafin further stressed that his forebears had made land available for cattle ranching in the Oyo Empire, even providing additional acres for Fulani herdsmen free of charge to foster unity.

He added that disputes between farmers and herders were traditionally resolved through dialogue, consensus-building, and peace mechanisms entrenched in Yoruba culture.

He, however, warned against actions that threaten peace and stability, assuring residents of his continued commitment to the protection of lives and property across the region.

The Chief of Staff to the governor of Kaduna State, Sani Kila, has described his principal as a leader who has brought renewed hope to the people of Kaduna State.

Kila noted that Governor Sani has, in less than three years in office, demonstrated uncommon leadership qualities by delivering tangible results across key sectors of governance.

He emphasised that the governor’s achievements are not only visible but also speaks volumes about his passion for service and his commitment to the welfare of the people.

According to him, the administration’s strides in the education sector stand out as a major milestone. Schools across the state have witnessed renovation, new classrooms have been built, and teachers have received training to improve the quality of education.

He added that the interventions have created a better learning environment for children and given parents renewed confidence in public schools.

On security, Kila said the governor’s pragmatic approach to addressing the challenges of banditry and other criminal activities in the state.

He said Uba Sani’s collaboration with security agencies, coupled with grassroots engagement through community leaders, has helped to restore relative peace and stability in previously troubled areas.

He also highlighted the administration’s achievements in infrastructure development, pointing to the rehabilitation and construction of roads linking rural and urban communities, provision of water supply projects and the expansion of rural electrification, all of which have boosted economic activities and improved the standard of living for residents.

Healthcare, according to him, has equally received attention under the current administration, and the upgrade of primary healthcare centres, provision of essential drugs, and recruitment of more health workers are among the steps taken to ensure that quality medical care is accessible to people at the grassroots.

Kila explained that the state governor has placed emphasis on youth empowerment and women’s development, creating opportunities through skills acquisition programmes, small business support schemes, and agricultural initiatives.

He added that the governor’s inclusive style of governance, which gives room for participation by all groups regardless of tribe, religion, or social background, has united the people of Kaduna and strengthened social cohesion.

Ondo State Government on Friday presented cheques worth N38 million to 39 residents of the state to support and assist in their medical treatment.

The Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, who made the presentation in Akure, said the beneficiaries were selected after screening by a medical assistance board.

Ajaka explained that some of the beneficiaries required kidney transplants and other costly procedures, noting that 39 applicants were approved out of 54 who applied for the intervention.

The Health Commissioner said, ‘We are giving out a total amount of N38m to 39 residents to assist them. Some of them have kidney problems that they have to do transplant, and it’s very expensive, and this is what we’re able to distribute to them that Mr. Governor approved.

‘There was a board that they all undergo, where they applied, we looked at their documents and examined them. So, the board did that diligently and picked those that are deserving of assistance. 39 people succeeded out of the 54 people that are keyed into the exercise.’

The commissioner also urged residents to enroll in the state’s contributory health insurance scheme, which he said allows civil servants and other categories of workers to access healthcare without paying out of pocket.

‘The Abiyamo scheme also provides free maternal and child healthcare, including cesarean sections, for registered beneficiaries,’

What we are saying is that the contributory health insurance scheme in Ondo State is compulsory for every person. So we started with the formal sector, the civil servants, the government workers, the local government workers, and they are now enjoying it.

‘You don’t need to have money in your pocket to access the service, and it goes to the level of when you even need to do an operation, and you’re paying 40 percent while the government is paying 60 percent.

‘Also, there’s another aspect of it, the Abiyamo scheme is for maternal and child health, free of charge, provided you register. You take your delivery, whether spontaneous vaginal delivery or cesarean section, without paying a dime.

‘While I will advise all the beneficiaries to use whatever is being given to them for the purpose for which it is given, and God will grant them good health.

‘They should take good care of their health. And to the people of Ondo State, let us take care of our health because it’s very important for us.’

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Adeniran Ikuomola, commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for approving and releasing the funds, noting that the governor had consistently provided medical assistance to residents in need.

‘I want to appreciate, especially our own governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for approving this exercise. Not only has he approved, but he has also released the funds. He has been assisting people who are in need of medical assistance in the state since he became the governor.

‘So it is better for all of us to key into the Contributory Healthcare Insurance Scheme, an opportunity for every one of us to key into, so that anytime there is a need for us to take care of our health, we will go to the hospital without paying out of pocket.

‘We want to recommend it for all of us as long as the government continues to assist people that are in need, it is better for all of us to key into Contributory Health Scheme, so that every time, any time that we require health services, we can receive it without paying from our pocket.’

One of the beneficiaries, Caroline Jimoh, while speaking on behalf of others, appreciated the state government for the support, describing it as timely and life-saving.

She said, ‘Many of us had given up on treating our health problems because of lack of money. This gesture has restored hope to us,’ Jimoh said.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Chief Wole Olaonipekun (SAN), Major General Ike Nwachkwu, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, and other prominent leaders have emphasize the need for Nigeria to stand tall as the giant of Africa and strengthen the continent’s place on the global stage.

They made the call on Thursday as they all gathered at the Island Club 2025 Nigeria @ 65 Independence Lecture and Awards Night, themed: ‘Nigeria and the African Reawakening: The Giant That Must Not Sleep,’ held at the Peacock Hall, Island Club, Lagos.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while making the call, stressed that Nigerians needed to join hands and fight to ensure that the country hits its potential in all areas of human endeavor to strengthen African unity, foster economic growth, and secure its rightful place as a global leader.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, noted that Nigeria stands tall as Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people, considered as a demographic dividend fuelling growth, with over 60 per cent believed to be young and in their productive stage, further stressing that not many countries can boast of this youthful, productive, and vibrant demographic.

‘We need to join hands and fight to ensure that Nigeria hits her potential in all areas of human endeavours. With private sector leadership or collaboration with captains of industry, like the esteemed Island Club members, this giant of a nation will wake up, move up, and stay up,’ he said.

Governor noted that the theme of the event was a reflection on Nigeria at 65, saying that it should be an exhibition of collective ideas on how this giant of a country can live up to its stature as a true giant, responsible and respected nation, honoured and valued at home and abroad.

This was just as he reaffirmed that Lagos remained committed to contributing its quota as a hub of enterprise, creativity, and progress to Nigeria’s bright future and Africa’s awakening.

Highlighting Lagos’ pivotal role in Nigeria’s economic progress, Sanwo-Olu noted that the state now ranks as the second largest city economy in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $259 billion based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), adding that the state GDP is more than 18.7% of Nigeria’s GDP and about 20% of the country’s non-oil GDP.

‘Nigeria has all that it takes to succeed. We are home to the largest number of millionaires in Africa – a true reflection of our economic vibrancy. Lagos State epitomizes entrepreneurial dynamism; a commercial heartbeat driving Africa’s economic pulse.

‘It is working towards becoming Africa’s model megacity, one that is safe and secure, functional and productive. It has the ambition of becoming a global economic and financial hub in which businesses thrive and with high returns on investment,’ the governor said.

Similarly, former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Fashola (SAN), called for a national consensus on what the ‘Nigerian Dream’ truly meant, stressing the importance of defining clear standards for success and leadership.

Fashola, while emphasizing that success was not static but must be redefined over time to reflect the nation’s evolving challenges and opportunities, urged Nigerians to establish a gold standard for leadership, to ensure that the nation recognize and rally behind true visionaries.

Referencing Nigeria’s role in continental infrastructure, Fashola highlighted the country’s contributions to the Trans-African Highway and other projects, noting that three of the nine highways across Africa terminated in Lagos.

He explained that such investment from the Lagos-Badagry Expressway to the Kano-Maradi Railway reflected Nigeria’s responsibility in shaping Africa’s shared future.

Also speaking, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Olaonipekun (SAN), underscored the importance of structural and constitutional reforms to rebuild Nigeria’s foundations, even as he stressed that the responsibility now rests on Nigerians and Africans themselves to define a new path.

‘The responsibility now rests on Nigerians and Africans themselves to define a new path. With a call for justice, unity, and moral rebirth. Nigeria must be born again, contextualized, structural, constitutional, and legal. Only then can we inspire Africa and the world,’ he said.

The former Foreign Minister, Major General Ike Nwachkwu, in his own remark, noted the importance of strong opposition in safeguarding democracy, recalling how past opposition figures helped preserve nation’s stability and accountability.

Lamenting the weakening of opposition politics today, Nwachkwu warned that democracy cannot thrive without genuine checks, fairness, and focus, calling on Nigerians to unite, rise above selfish politics, and demand governance that prioritizes the collective good over personal ambition.

The Keynote Speaker, an Internationally Celebrated Pan-Africanist and Thought Leader, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, challenged Nigerians to embrace their historic responsibility as Africa’s leader, warning that the nation can no longer afford ‘business as usual.’

Lumumba, while making the call, noted that Nigeria, despite its vast resources and human talent, had yet to achieve its true potential, pointing to persistent challenges in governance, education, healthcare, electricity, and the economy.

The erudite scholar emphasized that leadership at all levels must rise above self-interest and tribalism to deliver real transformation, declaring pointedly that ‘the day Nigeria wakes up is the day Africa wakes up.’

He, therefore, urged Nigeria to take bold steps in diversifying its economy, reviving local industries, strengthening education, and investing in innovation, rather than relying on imports.

Imagine trying to teach a ghost to paint. It has no hands, no eyes, and no physical form. All you can do is show it millions of paintings and tell it, ‘This is a cat,’ or ‘This is a starry night.’ Over and over again, you provide examples until, miraculously, the ghost starts to understand the essence of ‘cat’ or ‘starry night.’ It learns the patterns, the styles, and the concepts. Eventually, you can ask it to paint something new-a cat on a bicycle under a starry night-and it can conjure an image from the patterns it has absorbed. This enchanting, almost magical process is, in simple terms, how generative AI works. It’s a digital ghost in the machine, learning from vast amounts of data to create something entirely original. The process involves recognising complex patterns, much like a seasoned player develops an intuition for games of chance. On platforms like https://fortunica-online.com/en-gb, success often comes from understanding probabilities and patterns over time. Similarly, generative AI doesn’t rely on luck; it masters its craft by analysing countless examples until it can predict the next logical step, whether that’s a word in a sentence or a brushstroke in a painting.

This powerful technology is no longer confined to science fiction; it’s reshaping our world, from how we work to how we play. But how does it go from being a student of human creation to a creator in its own right? Let’s demystify the magic.

What Is This Digital Ghost?

At its core, generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can produce new and original content. Unlike other AIs that might only recognise or classify information, generative models create. They can write poems, compose music, design images, and even generate code. Think of them as incredibly advanced mimics that, after seeing enough examples, can develop their own unique style.

These systems are powered by complex algorithms called neural networks, which are loosely inspired by the human brain. They learn by identifying underlying patterns and relationships in massive datasets. This training allows them to generate outputs that are not just copies but are statistically plausible creations based on the data they’ve learned from.

This brings us to the most crucial part of the process: the training. Without it, our digital ghost would have an empty canvas and no inspiration.

The Library of Everything: Training Data

The fuel for any generative AI model is data-colossal amounts of it. An AI that generates text, like ChatGPT, is trained on a vast corpus of text from the internet, including books, articles, and websites. An image generator like MidJourney or DALL·E, on the other hand, learns from billions of images paired with descriptive text captions. This library of examples is what teaches the AI about the world.

Here’s a breakdown of the kind of data used for different models:

Text Models: Fed with terabytes of text from the web, they learn grammar, context, facts, and conversational styles.

Image Models: Trained on huge databases of images and their descriptions, they learn to connect words like ‘surrealist painting of a fox in a top hat’ to specific visual elements.

Music Models: Learn from countless hours of music, absorbing melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and genre conventions.

This data doesn’t just teach the AI what things are; it teaches the AI the intricate connections between them.

Learning the Rules of Art (and Everything Else)

Once the AI has its library, the learning begins. During training, the model tries to predict and reconstruct the data it’s given. For example, a text model might be given a sentence with a missing word and tasked with guessing it. An image model might be shown a blurry image and asked to make it sharp.

With each attempt, it receives feedback on how well it did. If it guesses the wrong word, it adjusts its internal parameters. This process is repeated billions of times, and with each iteration, the AI gets better at understanding the patterns. It’s not memorising the examples but rather building an internal, abstract representation of the information. This is how it learns the ‘rules’ of language, art, and logic without ever being explicitly programmed with them.

This foundational understanding is what allows the AI to move from simply recognising patterns to generating them on its own.

From Apprentice to Master: The Creation Process

After extensive training, the AI is ready to create. The process of generating new content usually follows a few key steps, starting with a prompt from a user. This is where you get to collaborate with the digital ghost.

Here is a simplified step-by-step guide to how generative AI creates something new:

Receiving the Prompt: You give the AI a command, known as a prompt. This can be anything from ‘Write a short story about a time-travelling detective’ to ‘Create an image of a crystal palace on Mars.’

Interpreting the Concept: The AI breaks down your prompt into concepts it understands from its training. It associates words like ‘crystal,’ ‘palace,’ and ‘Mars’ with the patterns it has learned.

Generating From Noise: For many models, especially image generators, the process starts from a field of random noise (like TV static). The AI then gradually refines this noise, shaping it step-by-step to match the concepts in the prompt.

Refining and Iterating: The model continuously checks its own work against the prompt, making adjustments to better align the output with the request. It’s essentially asking itself, ‘Does this look like a ‘crystal palace’?’ until the result is a close match.

This generative ability allows the AI to produce a near-infinite variety of outputs, making it a powerful tool for creativity and problem-solving.

Comparing Different Generative AI Models

While the underlying principles are similar, different generative AI models are specialised for various tasks. Understanding their strengths can help you choose the right tool for your needs. The table below offers a comparison of common model types.

As this table illustrates, each type of generative AI excels in its own domain, having been trained on data specific to that medium. This specialisation is what allows for such high-quality and context-aware outputs.

Unleash Your Inner Creator

Generative AI is more than just a technological marvel; it’s a new frontier for human creativity. By understanding how it works-not as magic, but as a sophisticated process of pattern recognition and generation-we can demystify the technology and harness its potential. From the initial spark of a prompt to the final, polished creation, AI acts as a collaborative partner, a tireless assistant, and an endless source of inspiration. It’s the ghost we taught to paint, now ready and waiting for our next masterpiece.

The next time you see a stunning AI-generated image or read a cleverly written piece of text, you’ll know the secret behind it. It’s not about a machine thinking for itself, but about an algorithm so well-trained on human culture that it can reflect it back to us in new and unexpected ways. So why not try it yourself? Experiment with a text or image generator and see what you can create. You might just be surprised by the artist within you.

The remains of the former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Friday interred in Benin, the Edo State capital amid tears from family members, friends and former colleagues.

Solomon Arase was buried at a private ceremony witnessed by few family members and closed associates.

The former IGP was interred after a funeral mass was held at the St. Paul Catholic Church, Airport in Benin.

In his homily, Reverend Father Andrew Obiyan, urged the congregation to work towards making heaven after leaving the physical world.

Obiyan said people would want to go everywhere on earth but refused to go to the House of God.

He expressed disappointed at attitude of some humans towards donating for the work of God.

According to him, ‘Our own life is in heaven. We must never be distracted. We now see old age creeping into our lives daily powerfully.

‘It crept in to remind us of immortality. We study so hard to receive so many titles. At death, those titles mean nothing to God. The only title that means so much is a grace of battle.

‘We have the assurance that Arase will reap the fruit of baptism in the presence of the eternal King.

‘Sometimes we go everywhere but we dont want to go to the House of God except when we want to please people. We do not want not to come to the House of God.

‘Late Arase feared and loved God. Policing is a profession with risk. We see soaring crime rate yet many police officers are exemplary hard.

‘We give glory to God for Arase’s getting to the peak of his career. The lord do not take from you what he cannot give.’

Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, said late Arase was of great service to the Nation.

‘Moments like this are for us to know that one day we will lie down like this. We should be humble to serve our state and country to the best of our ability.

‘All about him are great and good testament. From his professionalism and service to the country, his relationship with the rest of society marked his humility and spreading love everywhere he goes.’

Dignitaries at the event were Governor Monday Okpebholo represented by his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa, Oba Ewuare II represented by Chief Oseni Elamah and Chief Uso Osaretin, the Usoh of Benin Kingdom.

Others were former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, FRSC Zone 5 Commander, Stella Orakwe, Secretary to the Police Service Commission, Onyeabuchi Nnamani, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Senator Neda Imasuen, amongst others.