Category: The Nation – Nigeria

There are three burning issues that call for deep reflection at this time. The first is: Should former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan throw his signature hat into the ring to battle his way back to the Villa in 2027? Whether he is warming up and rehearsing for the battle royal would seem to have left the realm of speculation even though his wife is not keen. There are pointers to this longing. But his wife has said she does not see herself in the Villa any more. In other words, not at Aso Rock wearing the headgear stamped with the glittering label of Nigeria’s First Lady. Those familiar with this column know its position on the abundance of power at the disposal of uncorrupted womanhood. If Dr. (Mrs.) Patience Jonathan says she does not see herself at Aso Rock again, forget it. A determined but uncorrupted woman does not lose a battle without grave consequences. Her weapon is her intuition and connection with the Light Realms. I will come back to this presently.

The second is the issue of tinted glasses. In April the police high command said cars with tinted glasses would no longer be allowed thenceforth on the roads without police permit. The requirement finally took effect last week Tuesday, 02 October, 2025, amidst serious controversies and after a postponement. The day it was taking effect coincidentally fell on a day Nigerians were returning from what could be described as an extended weekend for the National Independence Anniversary celebrations-which for some was a short period for reflection. The police said they were implementing a decree, now an act, promulgated in 1991 by General Ibrahim Babangida Administration. That law expressly forbade vehicles with tinted windows, as well as front and back wind screens not plain enough to make people in them visible. A breach of the law would attract a fine of N2, 000, a heavy sum of money at the time, or a jail term of six months. The decree did not attract attention at the time because vehicles with tinted glasses were rare. Even in 2013 when the police first dusted the legislative book not many knew there was any such law. Again, in 2016, the police sought to implement the law. It was not much of a success. But this year, the situation is different. For a great many, dusting it up came as a rude shock, largely because of the harsh economic situation. The law became noticeable and it is being fiercely resisted with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) leadership in the forefront. Nigerians see it as a revenue generating ploy by the police and as an added tax burden for a people reeling under crushing high inflation and all manner of taxation and levies. What it would fetch into the police kitty is put at N19billion in a year. And the permit is also henceforth to be collected yearly.

The police did not state any reason for the enforcement of tinted glasses permit. The citizens themselves reading the thoughts of the police hierarchy are hazarding a guess: That it is help in the seemingly intractable mounting security challenge in the land. While the reason may be plausible the argument is defeated by the fact that where the challenge is untrammeled and worrisome, there is hardly any presence of vehicles with tinted glasses. The terrorists and bandits use only motorcycles and ramshackle vehicles. They arrive in communities they invade in long columns of motorcycles, according to accounts by traumatized members of rural communities. Not one car is seen. Motorcycles are the veritable means of transportation in every part of the country, including cities.

Of course, in fairness, some cars are completely covered in very dark colours- windows, and windscreens. Such vehicles present obscene, suspicious and frightening spectacles. Tinted vehicles are factory fitted, imported or manufactured or assembled. All the police need do is to stop the suspicious ones totally tinted on the road and ask that the driver wind down the glasses to see those in the vehicle, and may even search them. What will reduce the workload for the police is to ask that the tinted driver’s window side and the passenger’s as well as the windscreens be changed and made plain, leaving only the back seats covered. Since vehicles with tainted glasses are prevalent now all over the world, there is very little Nigeria can do to stem their inflow into Nigerian market. Those being manufactured within our shores-Nord by Ajayi Joshua Oluwatobi; those by Lanre Shittu, Nnoson in Nnewi owned by Innocent Chukwuma; Toyota by Elizade (Michael Ade Ojo) and Dona producing KIA will need to be patronized more. It is then suggestions can be made to the local manufacturers on what our peculiar circumstances require. It is objectionable that the tinted glass permit is a yearly requirement. It is odd that a permit given to a vehicle and all the attendant processes will be repeated for the same vehicle every year. The ownership has not changed; the police authority signatures are of the police authority. On deep reflection and second thoughts, the police high command themselves will find the exercise is extortionist. It should be thrown out of the window, not suspended which is the case after pressure from the NBA.

Ultimately, what a majority of Nigerians have seen as the most compelling curb to escalating security challenges is the establishment of State Police. Governors’ Forum, stakeholders, respectable leaders of thought and the media have all clamored unceasingly for this panacea. Those to bring about the establishment of this tier of policing are living shielded in impregnable fortresses and at no cost to them. So, the foot-dragging and unfeeling continue, giving no inkling of when the obstinacy will terminate. The police themselves have long recognized the imperative of another tier of policing for a large and disparate country as Nigeria such that as far back as 2003 they sent some of their men to Britain to train in community policing.

Is Babangida’s Voice not weighty enough to move the legislators to action or Obasanjo’s. The North thought to be reticent for a long time has thrown its weight behind the establishment of state police. Former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida said in 2022, speaking on the subject of restructuring, and I have quoted him several times because of the profundity of his thoughts: ‘Added to this desire is the need to commence the process of having state police across the states of the Federation. The initial fears of state governors misusing men and officers of state police have become increasingly eliminated with renewed vigour in citizens’ participation and confidence to interrogate power: We cannot be detained by those fears and allow civilization to leave us behind. We must as a people with one destiny and common agenda, take decisions for the sake of posterity in our shared commitment to launch our country on the path of development and growth. Policing has become sophisticated that we cannot continue to operate our old methods and expect different results.’ On another occasion, he had said that the fears of misuse by governors are unfounded and exaggerated.’ He would Know.

At the security summit organized by the Senate in the Buhari years, the then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said: ‘The nature of our security challenges is complex. Securing Nigeria’s over 923, 768 square kilometres and its 180 million people requires a continual re-engineering of our security architecture and strategies. We cannot realistically police a country the size of Nigeria centrally from Abuja. State police and other community policing methods are the way to go.’ Governor Henry Dickson at the time in the saddle in Bayelsa State, corroborating what Professor Osinbajo said, went on to argue that the prevailing security situation and the need for an effective response to the challenge had made the establishment of state police mandatory. In the heat of the debate, the then Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, first spoke on security vote: ‘You say what do we do with it? Without mincing words, I can’t speak for others, but I also get feedback from other states in my capacity as chairman of the Governors’ Forum. There are hardly any of these institutions that you are talking about that we do not fund. We fund the police. Quote me. State governors fund the police more than the Federal Government. We buy them vehicles. We pay them allowances. In some cases we even buy ammunition, of course under authority. And if we do engage our Military in aid to civil authority which you will find actually in 36 states in this country, we fund it.’

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joseph Daodu said in strikingly disarming simplicity that state police is for law and order. The Sultan of Sokoto has called for the establishment of state police. The Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Hassan Kukah has done the same, indeed, with strident vehemence of a cleric that he is, draping his call with his accustomed scholarship wrapped in ecclesiastical touch.

If governors do all Dr. Fayemi listed indicating that for a long time the governors have been roaring to go, why foot-dragging on the state police? What I am getting at is that what the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, need concentrate his attention on is strengthening the consensus that the nation has forged that the only way to go is the establishment of State Police and begin to think of operational border guidelines for both the Nigeria Police Force and State Police when the latter eventually takes its place in the maintenance of law and order everywhere. Further evidence of that consensus is 2014 National Conference Report which had strongly recommended state and community policing. The establishment of state police will not be tantamount to the abolition of the Nigeria Police, after all. Swaths of Nigerian land have been left at the mercy of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and all sorts-the agents of Darkness for too long!

There is now no doubt any longer that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan wants to try his luck again, fixing his gaze at the possibility of returning to the Villa come 2027. Everyone is the name he bears. No name is an accident. When a person asks what’s in a name the answer should ring out loud: It is everything. In all and for all activities we draw the power of God the Almighty Creator expressed in radiation threads. It is such that there is no vacuum, there are no gaps. It is a mesh of radiations. We draw and use the power as we may choose through our free will. There is a multitude of unseen beings, loyal servants of the Most High, the Creator. For the use of that power, for thinking, for speaking and for actions, of course, we are accountable. These also crystallize into forms woven by the beings who take on every action, every speech, as well as thoughts which are actions, and weave them into forms which constitute our carpet of fate, including the parents and the name we bear. Our activities today lead to the name we will inexorably bear tomorrow. Every baby in the womb whispers the name it would bear to its mother or who is open to receive it in the family in the family or from someone far away.

We are told about every man: ‘Every stirring of his spirit, every weaving of his soul, every action of his body, and every word he utters automatically and unconsciously ties ever new threads to the existing ones, attaching them, connecting one with the other, and interweaving them. The human being forms and forms, and even thereby forms in advance the earth-name which he must bear in his next life on earth, and which he will inevitably bear because the threads of his own weaving surely and unswervingly lead him to it.’

Goodluck Jonathan first dared to live his name albeit unconsciously when he became deputy Governor to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. The governor was impeached following a charge of gross misconduct bordering on misappropriation and fraud. Goodluck Jonathan succeeded him on 09 December, 2005. When Umaru Yar’Adua was looking for a deputy, a Vice-Presidential Candidate he settled for Goodluck Jonathan. Half-way through his term of four years, Umaru Yar’Adua passed away. Jonathan succeeded him through a doctrine of necessity. He was defeated as President in 2015 by Muhammadu Buhari. He retired to his village from where notable international organizations beckoned to him to run one errand or the other. In his time Nigeria boasted of the largest economy in Africa. He built schools for Almaijiris in the North to uplift the children of the poor in the Region. He organized a highly successful National Conference seen as a luminous ray of light and hope in Nigeria’s dark tunnel. What raised him really high in the estimation of the world was his decency and courage both nationally and internationally was in conceding defeat to his political rival for the Villa, Muhammadu Buhari even before the counting of the votes was concluded. He saw the signs of his defeat and called Buhari that he was throwing in the towel with a statesman’s high-minded and enthralling pronouncement that his ambition was not worth the shedding of blood of his fellowmen. His action was unprecedented. But then, he was seen by many as clueless on the myriad of problems afflicting the country, weak and incompetent. The country was raven with unprecedented level of corruption. The national resources became a bazaar. Many made away with billions from the public till. The country was turned upside down with insecurity under his watch. School children were abducted in hundreds from their dormitories, what he himself, as he is wont to in his candour, described as a permanent stain on his name. And Nigerians began to yearn for delivery.

What crystal ball has he looked into that has told him that another streak of Goodluck is on the way to him? What is the constellation of stars saying that triggered him to begin to warm up and rehearse- that there are prospects of another go at the Presidency, that no matter the obstacles, like Mr. Trump, he would surprise the world. Efforts are being made through the courts to disqualify him in the argument that no one can be sworn in whether as governor or president more than twice. The judge was persuaded by the argument that he only succeeded Yar’Adua and not through election to the Presidency. When attention was drawn to the amendment to the provision of the constitution, the judge said: ‘I declare that the provision of 137 sub-section 3 of the Constitution acquired the force of law with effect from 7th June, 2018, and as such does not have a retrospective application.’ The constitution is being put to test again in Abuja. From an intellectual dissection of his daring towards the Presidency, I would say, what goodluck magic is he going to invoke against Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is well known as a formidable candidate and fighter and one with an undoubted crowd pulling power. See the spate of defections. And so I dare say, Dear Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, please, you leave when the ovation is loudest. Don’t over stretch your luck. But then, what does man know! Every man is the name he bears!!

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has stressed the need to have a Nigerian Constitution that work for all segments of the society.

Speaking at a retreat of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Kalu who is Chairman of the committee said Nigerians want a Constitution that empowers local governments to deliver services, streamlines electoral justice, strengthens fiscal federalism, guarantees women’s full participation in governance, and enhances accountability at all levels.

He said: ‘The work we do here in Enugu over the next few days will define the trajectory of Nigeria’s democracy for the next generation. Will we be remembered as the Assembly that empowered local governments, thereby bringing governance closer to the people? Will we be remembered as the Assembly that shattered the glass ceiling and guaranteed women’s full participation in public life? Will we be remembered as the Assembly that restored public confidence in our electoral system?

‘These are not rhetorical questions. They are moral and political imperatives that demand our immediate and decisive action. Therefore, as we commence our deliberations, I urge us all to be guided by three principles’.

He maintained that in discharging its responsibilities, the Committee must have a unity of purpose; legislative discipline and national interest as guiding principles, saying ‘We represent different constituencies, different parties, and different ideologies.

‘But on the issue of constitutional reform, we must speak with one voice. The amendments we propose must command broad, bipartisan support if they are to succeed. Let us focus on what unites us, not what divides us.

‘Every decision we make here must be guided by one question: What is best for Nigeria? Not what is best for our party, our region, or our personal ambitions, but what is best for the over 200 million Nigerians we were elected to serve.

‘The Constitution we are reviewing is the social contract that binds us together as a people. It is the promise we make to each other about the kind of country we want to build.

‘Let the work we do here in Enugu reflect our commitment to that promise. Let us leave Enugu with a clear, actionable roadmap for constitutional reform: one that empowers local governments, guarantees women’s representation, strengthens electoral integrity, and deepens our federal democracy.’

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, emphasised the need to have a diligent Judicial, police and other reforms that will attend to the needs of the Nigerian people for speedy justice delivery.

Represented by the Deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, the governor said if implemented, reforms intended in the proposed amendments and new bills in the ongoing exercise, will go along way in addressing the socio-political, security as well as economic challenges affecting the country.

He said, ‘When you want to complain that we’ve not had access to public and political appointments at the federal level, we begin to read out all sorts of data about fairer character. How people get disadvantaged, how certain ministries go to certain parts of the country and not fairly distributed.

‘But, have you also tried to interrogate, why is it that those of us who complain about federal character from the perspective of political appointment and access to political jobs, we don’t see them as you look at fairer character from the perspective of national budget?

‘Those of us who are politicians seek opportunities at the centre, we are not getting it. We begin to raise all hell about fairer character. But, we don’t do the real work of seeing how the national distribution of free infrastructure cuts across dialectical and enforcing policies.’

Gov. Mbah said the Committee also needs to do more in the areas of judicial and police reforms to address the various problems affecting the Judiciary and the Police as regards justice delivery and fighting crimes.

A sociocultural organization, Orisun Igbomina has accused Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru of sectional representation.

Ashiru, an architect, is representing Kwara South Senatorial District in the upper legislative chamber.

The group is angry with the Senator for allegedly facilitating projects worth N6 billion in his country home of Offa, Offa Local Government Area, while neglecting other parts of the senatorial district.

In a statement, National President, Orisun Igbomina, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, recently at a meeting in Offa said, ‘Senator Ashiru’s focus seemed solely on Offa, his hometown, where he boastfully claimed to have facilitated over N6 billion worth of projects in 2025 alone to the town.

‘We received the comments by Senator Ashiru with great disappointment. Nevertheless, we find it profoundly insensitive that such open admission to ethnic bigotry and sectional bias comes from the very Senator representing Kwara South – a district whose majority are Igbomina people – especially at a time when our land faces existential threats of insecurity.

‘It is troubling to realize that a senator we elected appears indifferent to our lives and safety.

‘Meanwhile, the existence of the six other local governments he represents is under threat.

‘It is utterly ridiculous that a politician of Ashiru’s stature is blinded not only by his egocentric ambition but now suffers from ‘ambition-craze.’ Every of his statements seems to be a desperate attempt to manipulate ethnic sentiments-trying to sway the people of Offa to support his gubernatorial ambition, while also cajoling them with the possibility of retaining Senate and House of Representatives seats in the same Offa, regardless of the broader interests of the district and plurality of Kwara state at large.

‘The Kwara South traditional rulers and stakeholders cannot be more right to have recently awarded Senator Ashiru a badge of poor performance for the lack or near absence of developmental impacts since assumption of office.

‘It is crucial for political leaders to understand that the Igbomina people will never support divisive sectional politicians like Ashiru-no matter their promises or posturing.

‘His recent actions reveal that he lacks the capacity to lead a secular, multiethnic society like Kwara South, let alone Kwara state or Nigeria.

‘It is both distasteful and alarming that, at a time when Igbomina land is embroiled in insecurity and our communities are crying out for security and peace, Senator Ashiru has preoccupied himself with organizing and promoting sectional political agenda. Instead of prioritizing the protection of our lives and properties, he has chosen to focus solely on divisive politics.’

However, the Senator, of recent, has been at the forefront for the deployment of troops to troubled areas in the state.

Early last month he met with stakeholders from Kwara South where he promised to raise the matter at Senate plenary.

Then, he advocated the establishment and deployment of more robust forward operating bases (FoBs) in Kwara South to stem the tide of rising banditry and kidnappings in the district.

Said the Senator: ‘In seeking lasting peace, we must be deliberate in strengthening both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. In addition, the government must enhance kinetic operations in the affected areas by improving equipment, mobility, and manpower for our security agencies.

‘We must also explore community-driven solutions. The revival and proper training of Forest Guards will provide the much-needed surveillance of our bushes and farmlands, which have become hideouts for criminal elements.

‘Equally, we must strengthen communal engagement, ensuring that traditional rulers, youth groups, and local vigilantes work hand in hand with security operatives to provide intelligence and maintain vigilance.’

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the National Assembly will not allow any lawmaker to hold the legislature ‘hostage,’ stressing that discipline and adherence to institutional rules are vital for the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.

Akpabio made this known in a statement yesterday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, titled ‘The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate.’

He explained that the Senate’s resolve to uphold its standing orders was not aimed at stifling dissent but rather to preserve order and protect the sanctity of democratic institutions.

‘Without a doubt, Nigeria’s Senate belongs in that global fellowship of parliaments that recognise chaos as the heart of anarchy and order as the soul of democracy.

‘Its insistence on upholding internal discipline and protecting the authority of its leadership is, therefore, neither personal nor punitive. It is institutional self-preservation,’ Akpabio said.

He noted that the Upper Chamber’s determination not to be swayed by any individual was a reaffirmation of collective responsibility over ‘individual grandstanding.’

‘When the chamber asserts that it will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any single member, it is affirming the primacy of collective responsibility over individual grandstanding. This is how strong legislatures endure: not by silencing dissent, but by ensuring that dissent respects the bounds of procedure,’ he stated.

Akpabio further emphasized that parliamentary discipline is a universal principle in democratic governance, citing examples from established democracies.

‘The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilisation. In the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, the authority of the Speaker is absolute and unchallenged, ensuring that debates proceed with respect and precision. No member, regardless of party or popularity, may openly defy the Speaker’s ruling without consequences.

‘In Canada’s Parliament, even the fiercest partisans understand that procedure is sacred. Heated disagreements are channelled through decorum, not chaos. Similarly, in Australia, the Senate’s ability to hold the executive accountable depends not on the whims of politics but on the meticulous enforcement of rules that keep legislative integrity intact,’ Akpabio said.

He maintained that strong democracies thrive not by avoiding dissent but by managing it within the limits of procedure and respect for institutional order.

‘In any democracy, the question is never whether there will be dissent. Instead, it is always about how it will be handled. The real measure of a democratic institution is how it handles internal turbulence.

‘The Tenth Senate has faced its fair share of provocations and personality clashes, yet it has consistently chosen the path of principle over populism. When it insists that rules must be followed and that leadership must be respected, it is not acting out of pride but out of duty. Every time the Senate enforces its Standing Orders, it sends a message that Nigeria’s democracy is strong enough to discipline itself,’ the statement added.

In today’s world, air superiority remains a defining measure of global power-and only a select few nations command the technology to field true fifth-generation fighter jets.

These aircraft fuse stealth design, supersonic speed, cutting-edge avionics, and integrated weapons systems to give pilots unmatched combat dominance.

Beyond their sheer performance, factors such as fleet size and operational readiness now shape the balance of power-from the United States’ unrivaled lead to China’s rapid buildup and rising contenders like South Korea.

This exclusive group of air forces stands at the forefront of modern warfare, where advanced jets can determine the outcome of battles long before they begin.

Here are the seven countries operating the world’s most advanced 5th-generation fighter jets:

The United States remains the undisputed leader in fifth-generation aviation, operating both the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. The F-22, primarily designed for air superiority, has been in service since 2005, with about 180 units active. The multirole F-35 has achieved global reach, serving across multiple branches of the U.S. military and allied air forces. With more than 1,200 F-35s in operation worldwide-most of them American-owned-the U.S. firmly holds the top spot in fifth-generation combat capability.

China’s Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon has become the pride of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). By 2025, more than 300 J-20s have entered active service, reflecting China’s rapid military modernization and ambition to rival Western air power. The J-20’s growing numbers and continual upgrades signal Beijing’s commitment to achieving air dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.

Russia fields the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon, which officially entered service in 2020. Around 20 to 25 units are currently operational. Though the fleet remains small, the Su-57’s combination of stealth, agility, and supercruise capability makes it a key asset in Russia’s quest to maintain strategic parity with NATO air forces.

The United Kingdom operates the F-35B Lightning II, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35. As of 2025, roughly 40 F-35Bs are in service, with plans to expand the fleet to between 60 and 80 aircraft. Deployed from both air bases and Royal Navy aircraft carriers, the F-35B forms the backbone of the UK’s modern carrier strike group operations.

Israel flies the F-35I Adir, a customized variant of the F-35A adapted with indigenous avionics and weapons systems. Since entering service in 2017, the Israeli Air Force has integrated approximately 46 F-35Is. The Adir’s tailored systems give Israel a unique operational edge, enhancing both deterrence and effectiveness in regional conflicts.

Japan operates both the F-35A and F-35B variants, with around 45 aircraft currently active. Tokyo plans to expand its fleet to 147 F-35s in total, making it one of the largest F-35 operators outside the U.S. This expansion is central to Japan’s efforts to modernize its air defense and strengthen its regional security posture.

South Korea’s indigenous KF-21 Boramae program represents a major leap in its aerospace ambitions. Although not yet fully operational, the aircraft is expected to enter active service by 2026. Once deployed, the KF-21 will mark South Korea’s entry into the elite circle of nations capable of developing and fielding advanced fighter technology.

Singer Seyi Shay has revealed why she isn’t married to the father of her daughter, despite maintaining a close and respectful relationship with him.

Speaking in an interview with Chude Jideonwo, the singer addressed long-standing speculations about her marital status, explaining that their bond remains strong.

‘It’s a technical issue, you understand? But he’s great, he’s cool, he’s around. He’s Nigerian, he’s in the UK at the moment, and he’s also in the music industry on the corporate side of things. We just work together, raising our child and we are great friends,’ she said.

Seyi Shay further described their relationship as one built on mutual respect, saying, ‘We are really brilliant friends now. We co-parent really well.’

Seyi Shay welcomed her daughter in 2022 and has since attributed motherhood for transforming her outlook on love, family, and career

The federal government’s effort to expand trade infrastructure and decongest the nation’s seaports has received a boost as the Ogun state government officially handed over 130 hectares of land to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for the construction of the Ijebu-Ode Inland Dry Port.

The handover marks a major milestone in the Federal Government’s trade facilitation agenda and paves the way for developing a logistics and cargo hub in Ijebu-Ode to boost intermodal transport connectivity and ease pressure on Lagos ports.

Speaking during the signing of the Transfer of Rights, Control, and Possession on behalf of the Federal Government, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olufemi Oloruntola, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing the project within a short period.

‘The federal government remains committed to completing the Ijebu-Ode Inland Dry Port swiftly. This development is part of our broader efforts to enhance port efficiency, strengthen regional trade logistics, and promote seamless cargo movement across the country,’ he said.

Representing Governor Dapo Abiodun at the ceremony, the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo said the land transfer demonstrates the state’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government to advance Nigeria’s trade infrastructure and diversify its transport system.

‘The state has provided land to the Federal Government to facilitate the construction of the inland port terminal within the Ijebu-Ode economic cluster area. This initiative will significantly improve intermodal transportation in the state and help decongest the Western Ports,’ he said.

The ceremony was attended by key maritime stakeholders, including the Director of Maritime Services, Dr. Mercy Ilori; the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Pius Akutah; and officials of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), who all expressed optimism about the project’s potential impact.

The Ijebu-Ode Inland Dry Port is part of the Federal Government’s wider inland dry port initiative aimed at decentralising cargo handling and stimulating economic growth in the hinterlands. Similar projects are underway in Ibadan, Kano, Funtua, and Jos, aligning with the administration’s goal of improving logistics efficiency and reducing trade costs nationwide.

When completed, the Ijebu-Ode facility is expected to enhance cargo distribution, attract investment, and position Ogun State as a major logistics hub within the South-West economic corridor.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has rejected claims of irregularities in its recently concluded state congress, describing the allegations as false, mischievous, and intended to tarnish a transparent process.

The accusations came from an internal faction, Kick Against Deceit, which alleged that the congress was manipulated to favour certain leaders, calling the exercise a ‘charade.’

The congress, held last month, elected Barrister Victor Modupe Aisida as the new state chairman, succeeding Rt. Hon. Bakitta Bello, who completed the tenure of the late Hon. Fatai Adams. Other executives elected include Akin Oyewole (Deputy Chairman), Oluseye Olujimi (Secretary), Jolade Aladetan (Publicity Secretary), and Woke Akindiose (Legal Adviser).

Although largely peaceful, the party’s 2024 governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, was notably absent from the event.

In a statement on Sunday, the party’s Director of Media and Public Communication, Comrade Wande Ajayi, said the congress adhered fully to the PDP constitution and the guidelines approved by the National Working Committee (NWC), with officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) observing the process.

Ajayi also revealed that some individuals listed as signatories to the critical statement-Charles Adeduro, Caroline Olupitan, Pat Ojo, and Dagbatan Anjorin Peter-had denied involvement, highlighting what he described as the deceitful intent behind the allegations.

‘Contrary to the falsehoods peddled by the group, the State Congress was conducted in full compliance with the Constitution of our Party and the guidelines approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) as observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Delegates were duly accredited, the process was peaceful, and the outcomes reflected the collective will of genuine party stakeholders across all local governments and senatorial districts,’ Ajayi said.

He added that the Ondo PDP had, for the first time in years, demonstrated unity of purpose and readiness to reclaim power through democratic engagement and transparent leadership recruitment.

Ajayi described those behind the allegations as frustrated by reforms aimed at ending imposition and manipulation within the party.

He urged members to disregard ‘baseless and divisive claims’ and remain focused on the renewed vision of the newly elected state executive committee as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Legal professionals within the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been called upon to put the interests of the Niger Delta people at the heart of their work.

Delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Legal Services Directorate retreat recently in Lagos, Managing Partner at S.P.A. Ajibade and Co., Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, emphasised the need for legal officers to view the region’s communities as their primary clients.

‘The legal department must always put the client first,’ Ajibade stated. ‘In this case, that client is the Niger Delta community. Every legal decision should be guided by the welfare of the people.’

The retreat, themed ‘Exploring Innovation for Effective Legal Service Delivery in the Public Service,’ provided a platform to address the evolving role of legal services in public sector development.

Ajibade highlighted the NDDC’s core mandate of fostering development in the Niger Delta and underscored the legal directorate’s pivotal role in realising this mission.

He warned that inflexible legal practices, often driven by professional ego, could jeopardise the commission’s goals.

‘Rigidity in legal approaches can sometimes undermine clients’ interests. We need more flexibility and a stronger client-centered mindset,’ he said.

Ajibade also pointed to the wide-ranging legal implications of the Commission’s operations – from infrastructure projects to environmental protection. He warned that poor legal counsel could expose the NDDC to liabilities, delay projects, or result in incomplete contracts.

Speaking earlier, Director of Legal Services and Board Secretary of the NDDC, Sir Victor Arenyeka, explained that the retreat aimed to sharpen the legal team’s skills and enhance their advisory capacity.

‘We are essentially a service department. This retreat is about building expertise and strengthening our ability to support the commission’s work. We are like the policemen of the commission, enforcing the rules and ensuring that development can take place within a lawful framework’, Arenyeka said.

Managing Partner of Liberty Associates, Dr. Innih Archibong also addressed the gathering, calling for reforms in Nigeria’s legal system to formally recognise the role of paralegals.

‘A paralegal is like the first responder in the legal system,’ he explained. ‘They inform people about their rights, offer initial legal advice, assist in litigation, and help settle disputes through mediation and advocacy.’

Archibong described the legal department as the ‘ethical and legal nerve centre’ of any organisation, noting that both lawyers and paralegals are vital to maintaining compliance, drafting agreements, managing legal risks, and protecting institutional interests.

He stressed that broadening access to justice in Nigeria would require fully integrating paralegals into the legal service ecosystem.

On October 7, 1967, the streets of Asaba ran red with innocent blood. What began as a peaceful demonstration of loyalty to a unified Nigeria ended in one of the most brutal civilian massacres in the nation’s history. Over one thousand men and boys were systematically executed by advancing Nigerian federal troops in an atrocity that has remained largely unacknowledged for decades. This dark chapter in Nigeria’s civil war history demands not only remembrance but also official recognition and apology from the government.

The descent into such madness occurred when Federal troops entered Asaba around October 5, 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War. The town, located on the western bank of the Niger River, found itself in the path of advancing forces seeking to push troops of the secessionist Republic of Biafra back into Biafran territory. What was to follow was three days of terror that would forever scar the community and leave an indelible stain on Nigeria’s national conscience.

From the moment of their arrival, federal soldiers began ransacking houses and killing civilians indiscriminately, justifying their actions by claiming the victims were Biafran sympathizers. Reports indicate that several hundred innocent males were killed individually and in small groups at various locations throughout the town during these initial days of occupation. The violence was arbitrary, merciless, and seemingly without military purpose beyond instilling terror.

Desperate to end the bloodshed, Asaba’s traditional leaders made a fateful decision. They summoned the townspeople to assemble on the morning of October 7, hoping that a mass demonstration of loyalty to ‘One Nigeria’ would satisfy the federal troops and halt the killings. It was a gamble born of desperation, a plea for mercy robed in patriotic fervor.

Hundreds of men, women, and children responded to the call. They dressed in Asaba’s ceremonial akwa ocha- the pristine white attire symbolizing peace and purity-and paraded along the main street. They sang, they danced, they chanted ‘One Nigeria’ with voices raised in hope and supplication. It was a powerful display of unity, a community literally clothing itself in symbols of peace while proclaiming allegiance to the very nation whose soldiers were terrorizing them.

Hope was however to transform into horror at a junction along the parade route. Federal troops ordered the separation of men and teenage boys from women and young children. The males were gathered in an open square at Ogbe-Osowa village, confusion and fear mounting as machine guns were revealed and trained upon the assembled crowd. Then came the order-allegedly from a Second-in-Command Major Ibrahim Taiwo-that would echo through generations; there is also mention of Murtala Mohammed, then a Colonel, as the man who gave the order.

The machine guns delivered death with devastating finality to hundreds of unarmed men and boys, still dressed in their white ceremonial attire now stained crimson. Fathers and sons, brothers and uncles, neighbors and friends-all cut down in a hail of bullets. The air filled with screams, gunfire, and the acrid smell of cordite. By the time the shooting stopped, the square had become an abattoir, and the white garments of peace had become funeral shrouds.

Most of the killing ended by October 7,although another round of killings would occur again in 1968. The trauma was only beginning. Some families managed to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones, carrying them home for private burial. Most victims, however, were unceremoniously dumped into mass graves, denied even the dignity of proper funeral rites. Many extended families lost dozens of men and boys in a single day, leaving behind widows, orphans, and a community hollowed out by grief.

Federal troops occupied Asaba for many months following the massacre. During this period, much of the town was systematically destroyed. As was the practice by Federal troops during the war, women and girls were subjected to rape and sexual violence; some were forcibly ‘married’ to soldiers in arrangements that were little more than legalized captivity. Large numbers of citizens fled Asaba, many not returning until after the war ended in 1970. Those who remained lived under occupation, surrounded by the ghosts of the murdered and the ruins of their former lives.

The Asaba Massacre isn’t an isolated incident in Nigeria’s troubled history. The pogroms of July and September 1966, which targeted Igbo populations in northern Nigeria, preceded the massacre and helped precipitate the civil war itself. In more recent times, the killings in Odi in 1999 and Zaki Biam in 2001 demonstrated that the pattern of excessive military force against civilian populations continued long after the civil war ended. Each of these atrocities shares common features: disproportionate use of force, targeting of innocent civilians, and a disturbing lack of accountability for perpetrators.

This pattern reveals a systemic problem in Nigeria’s approach to internal conflict and military conduct. Without acknowledgment and accountability, these atrocities become normalized, establishing dangerous precedents that enable future violations. The silence surrounding events like the Asaba Massacre sends a chilling message: that civilian lives can be extinguished with impunity when the state deems it expedient.

It is long past time for the Nigerian government to formally apologize to the victims of the Asaba Massacre and their descendants. Such an apology would not erase the pain or resurrect the dead-nothing can accomplish that impossible feat. The women who were widowed that day will never again embrace their husbands. The children who watched their fathers fall will carry that trauma to their graves. The mass graves of Asaba bear witness to a wound that can never fully heal.

Yet a formal apology matters profoundly. It represents official acknowledgment of wrong, a rejection of the narratives that sought to justify the unjustifiable. It validates the suffering of survivors who have lived for decades with their pain dismissed or ignored. It places the massacre in the national historical record not as a footnote or military necessity, but as the atrocity it was.

Moreover, an apology could serve as a foundation for institutional reform. It should be accompanied by the establishment of robust legal frameworks and institutions designed to prevent such atrocities in the future. Any person-regardless of rank or position-who perpetrates similar actions against civilians must face severe legal consequences. The principle of ‘never again’ requires not just words but structural safeguards, clear rules of engagement that protect civilian populations, and enforcement mechanisms with teeth.

As the sun sets on the Niger River, casting long shadows across the town of Asaba, those shadows seem to whisper the names of the murdered-a litany of loss that echoes through the generations. The blood that soaked into the soil of Ogbe-Osowa square on that terrible October morning has long since dried, but the stain on Nigeria’s national conscience remains, indelible and accusing.

To move forward as a nation, Nigeria must first look back with unflinching honesty. It must speak the names of the dead, acknowledge the magnitude of the wrong, and pledge with absolute conviction that such horrors will never again be visited upon its citizens. In that acknowledgment lies not weakness but strength-the strength to confront uncomfortable truths, the courage to make amends, and the wisdom to learn from history’s darkest chapters.

Let their memory be a beacon calling Nigeria toward a future where lives are sacred, where accountability is assured, and where the machinery of state serves to protect rather than destroy. Only then can the souls of Asaba rest, and only then can Nigeria truly claim to have learned from the past and build a foundation worthy of the future its citizens deserve.