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Ahmed Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi State, has disclosed that his administration has released N1.5billion for 2025 bursary allowance for indigenes of the state studying in public tertiary institutions across the country.

Wemi Jones, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, announced the exercise at a press briefing in Lokoja on Monday, as he urged the students to take advantage of the improved and transparent registration process, pointing out Governor Ododo’s commitment to making Kogi State a model for educational development in Nigeria.

Jones pointed out that the initiative, tagged Season Two, is designed to build on the successes of the previous phase. ‘Governor Ododo is determined to ensure that more students benefit from this bursary scheme. We expect the number of beneficiaries this year to surpass last year’s figure, and the funds are already set aside for disbursement,’ he said. ‘It is very important that we emphasis the need for a child to take it step by step. A child will first learn to sit, begin to craw and then begin to hold something to stand and begin to take steps one after the other, fall and make mistakes, then the child begins to run.

‘Season 1 was our experimental year and we took significant lessons away. Afolabi Joseph-Raji is hard working and an efficient chairman of the Kofi Scholarship Board, will confirm to you that we have noticed gaps which this season 2 aims to address.

‘On our part, we can only cover the gaps that we can cover, but NAKOSS have the bigger role of ensuring that students of Kogi State in tertiary institutions in Nigeria play their parts because if you do not play your part, there is absolutely nothing that anybody will do for you. Look at the analysis listed, the money was there, it was just for you to take it. We cannot pay money to ghost or people who are not verified.

‘And we have a willing governor who has said when it comes to education, I am not going to spare one kobo towards ensuring that Kofi State becomes a reference point positively among states in Nigeria. We are doing fantastically well as far as Northern Nigeria is concerned. We want to extend our reach beyond Northern Nigeria’.

Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has announced that the construction of the N2 Transit Way road, linking Wuse Zone 3 to the Central Business District of Abuja, is expected to attract significant investment into the territory.

Wike stated this during the official flag-off ceremony for the project in Abuja.

He described road infrastructure as critical to economic growth and a major factor in attracting both local and international investors.

The minister emphasized the role of road infrastructure as the backbone of any modern city’s economic growth.

He noted that the N2 Transit Way is one of several infrastructure initiatives marking the third-year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

‘Good roads are essential to development. When cities are connected, they become magnets for investment and growth,’ Wike said. ‘The N2 road project shows our commitment to positioning Abuja as a model city with roads, schools, health facilities, and investor-friendly policies.’

Highlighting Abuja’s growing profile among international investors, Wike cited a Dubai-based company’s commitment to replicate the Dubai City Walk project within the FCT, signaling confidence in the territory’s potential.

The N2 corridor, supported by two strategic bridges, began as a citizen-led initiative around the TY Danjuma Foundation before the FCTA expanded its scope to improve connectivity between the Central Business District and Wuse District. The Minister pledged strict supervision of contractors to ensure timely and quality delivery.

In addition to the road project, Wike announced plans to rehabilitate at least 40 additional schools, supplementing 70 ongoing school projects 45 of which have been completed, adding that attention will soon shift toward upgrading healthcare facilities, reflecting the administration’s broad approach to development. ‘Time waits for nobody. We are committed to delivering these projects efficiently,’ Wike said, urging officials to maintain round-the-clock coordination.

The Minister also revealed that project inaugurations will continue through October, with further initiatives aimed at transforming Abuja’s economy and urban landscape set for unveiling in November.

Mariya Mahmoud, FCT minister of state described it as a milestone in improving connectivity, reducing traffic congestion, and facilitating movement within the city center.

She credited the National Assembly for its consistent support and collaboration in ensuring budgetary attention to the FCT, noting, ‘Today, we are seeing the benefits of such partnerships.’

George Russell takes pole in Singapore for the first time in his career with a stunning lap in Q3, and is joined on the front row by Max Verstappen.

It was Mercedes’ first pole in Singapore since Hamilton set his famous lap in 2018 and came as a surprise as Russell gatecrashed Norris and Piastri’s fight.

Russell’s first pole since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, which he won, was achieved by 0.182 seconds from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Russell finished second at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix two weeks ago.

McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri took third place, with his title rival and team-mate Lando Norris fifth, behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc took sixth and seventh. Verstappen and Piastri both failed to improve on their final laps – and the Dutchman blamed that on Norris going slowly in front of him in the final sector.

The incident happened on the run to the final corner, where Norris was on the inside coming into the pits as Verstappen sought to complete his lap. Verstappen, who looked angry about the situation in the immediate aftermath of qualifying, said: ‘Without that I think it would have been close for pole.’

Norris shrugged the incident off, saying ‘Ah, they always complain. They complain about everything. It’s Red Bull. I was like three seconds ahead or something.’

Asked whether his brush with the wall on his first lap was a kiss or a hit, Russell said: ‘A bit more of a snog.

‘When you’re on a really strong lap and you just touch the wall like that, you’re a little bit tentative going into the next corner.’

Also, Williams drivers disqualified from Singapore GP qualifying for technical breaches

Williams received some bad news after qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, with both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz being disqualified.

Both Williams cars Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz failed post-qualifying checks on their rear wings.

Albon and Sainz placed 12th and 13th in Saturday night’s session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit but will lose those results after the team failed post-Qualifying checks.

‘The uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked on car numbers 23 (Albon) and 55 (Sainz),’ read a note from FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer. ‘Both cars exceeded the maximum limit of 85mm on both sides of the rear wing outer area.’

This violates Article 3.10.10 g. of the Technical Regulations, which covers the Drag Reduction System (DRS) and states that ‘at all points along the span, when the DRS is in the state of deployment, the two sections the rear wing profiles must have a minimum gap of between 9.4mm and 85mm.’

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State chapter, has urged both policy makers and Nigerians to take responsibility for the progress of the country rather than blaming leaders.

CAN lamented that although the successive administrations have failed in implementing policies, leaving Nigeria behind in terms of infrastructure and governance.

Bishop John Bogna Bakeni, the State CAN Chairman made the remarks while addressing journalists shortly after the Independence Anniversary Thanksgiving organized by officials of CAN, in Maiduguri.

He noted that the policy of government will determine turnaround of Nigeria’s economic and political situation which depends on the deliberate actions and political wills of the leaders.

According to him, ‘As I said in my message on the pulpit, Nigerians must make the right choices. We must hold our leaders accountable at all levels, but we must also take responsibility.’

He added, ‘I commend what they are doing, but I think we still have a lot to do. Governance is a very complex issue, and leadership in particular so it is not a blame game. But I think where there is a will, there is always a way out. In a state like Borno, this gathering is very significant, especially to the Christian community and the unity of the state, having faced with so much of security challenges,’ Bakeni said.

Delivering his sermon titled ‘We should not lust after evil things as they also lusted,’ drawn from 1 Corinthians 10:6, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri said corruption, dishonesty, and social decay begin within individuals and families. He said many of the challenges facing Nigeria, including kidnapping, banditry, corruption, terrorism, and tribalism, arise from moral negligence and the failure of families to instill proper values in their children.

‘We cannot continue to blame the government alone. Parents must monitor their children and instill discipline and honesty in them. Evil thrives when families abandon their moral duties,’ he added.

The unity service, held at St. John’s Anglican Church, Maiduguri, brought together priests, pastors, church leaders, and worshippers from across the metropolis. It was jointly organised by Maiduguri Metropolitan CAN and the Borno State CAN leadership.

Also, Pastor Timothy Olanrewaju, the Maiduguri Metropolis CAN Coordinator, thanked members for attending despite the economic challenges. He said the annual gathering was meant to thank God for His mercy and to pray for peace in Borno and Nigeria.

‘We just came out of a devastating flood, and though it returned this year, God took control. That is why we gathered to praise Him and offer prayers for the land,’ Olanrewaju said.

He also commended the Borno State Government for its response to last year’s flood and its ongoing efforts to return displaced persons to their communities.

Nigeria has spent billions on strengthening security agencies and tackling insurgency, but weak responses at local levels are threatening to undermine those efforts.

Security agencies have struggled to respond to terrorist attacks on communities as a result of lack of personnel, sabotage and lack of funds.

Sometimes, villages are raided for hours without security intervention. Analysts say the situation is a recent phenomenon not seen in the 1990s and 2000s.

Speaking with BusinessDay in Abuja, peace experts and security analysts say while the federal government has recorded significant gains, weak grassroots structures, elite interference, and compromised local authorities continue to leave dangerous gaps in the country’s security architecture.

As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, analysts highlighted progress, challenges, and the way forward for sustainable peace.

Sadeeque Abba, professor of Political Economy and Development Studies at the University of Abuja, said Nigeria’s security situation requires urgent collaboration across all tiers of government.

According to him, while the federal government has made significant efforts in tackling insecurity, state and local governments have failed to play their parts effectively.

‘In security terms, the federal government is doing an excellent job, but the state and local governments are not doing anything.

‘That is why Nigeria is not well secured. Federal government cannot secure the entire nation.

‘It is going to be a collaboration, a partnership between the federal, the state and the local government,’ Abba stressed.

The professor noted that local governments, which ought to be the cornerstone of national development and grassroots security, have been weakened by elite interference and state capture.

He argued that Nigeria must adopt a ‘bottom-up’ security model rather than the current ‘top-down’ approach.

‘If you go to some developed countries like Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even Norway and Finland, security is not about top-down, it’s about bottom-up.

‘In Africa, countries like Botswana, Seychelles, Lesotho, Madagascar and Algeria have bottom-up security models.

‘But in Nigeria, security is defined from the point of view of state security and elite security, leaving the grassroots unprotected,’ he said.

Abba explained that the disconnect between growing national resources and declining security is one of the contradictions undermining Nigeria’s development.

‘We were far more secure in the 1960s, 70s and 80s than now, even though we have more resources today. The further away from 1960, the less the security, yet the higher the resources. That imbalance is frightening,’ he added.

On her part, Dayo Kusa, former director of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and a member of the Coordinating Committee on the Forum on Farmer-Herder Relations in Nigeria, described Nigeria as being in”turmoil’ but urged continuous transformation of conflicts rather than seeking absolute resolutions.

‘The presidency and all involved are doing their very best, but the infestation has gone so far-rooted.

‘We shall continue to prevent conflict in areas not yet prone and transform existing conflicts.

‘Resolution is almost like peace of the graveyard, which is unattainable. Transformation is more practical and sustainable,’ Kusa explained.

Also speaking, Olusola Odumosu, commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Federal Capital Territory, said Nigeria should be grateful for the relative peace it enjoys compared to other parts of the world.

‘Except we want to be unfair, Nigeria is enjoying relative peace compared to other countries within Africa and across the globe. Sixty-five years is not an easy journey. We may not be where we ought to be, but we’re not where we used to be,’ he said.

Odumosu highlighted the collective efforts of the security community in sustaining peace, noting that the NSCDC works in close collaboration with the Nigerian Police, Armed Forces, and other paramilitary agencies.

He also pointed to recent security reforms and government policies under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which have strengthened agencies through increased funding, improved welfare, and training.

‘Before now, Nigeria was bedevilled with insurgency, violent extremism, and kidnapping. As we speak today, those challenges have reduced drastically.

‘We may not have completely obliterated them, but they are not as menacing as before,’ he said. On grassroots security, the NSCDC Commandant agreed with experts that community participation remains essential.

‘Peace is everybody’s business. We should not leave peace enforcement and building at the doorstep of security agencies alone. ‘Intelligence-led policing works best, and we rely on credible information from the people.

‘When you see something, say something. Don’t be indifferent, because it might affect someone close to you,’ Odumosu urged.

Checks by BusinessDay Newspapers revealed that Nigeria has in recent years embarked on a series of reforms aimed at strengthening national security, modernising its armed forces and improving the accountability of law enforcement agencies.

The measures, which range from legislative changes to increased funding and procurement of modern equipment, reflect government efforts to address the country’s complex security challenges while balancing concerns about human rights, governance and accountability.

A step in this direction was the signing of the Nigeria Police Act in 2020, which repealed the outdated 2004 law.

The new legislation emphasises accountability, respect for human rights and the need for community policing as a foundation for effective law enforcement.

However, while the Act provided a clear legal framework, observers note that its implementation has been slow, with limited impact so far on police culture, training and public trust.

Alongside domestic reforms, Nigeria has received international support for strengthening police accountability and transformation.

In 2024, the United Nations Development Programme launched the Supporting Police Accountability and Transformation (SPAAT) project, the third phase of a long-running initiative to improve professionalism in the Nigeria Police Force.

The project, which runs until December 2025, is designed to deepen reforms in police leadership, governance and community engagement, complementing government policies on institutional change.

Funding for security has also risen sharply, as defence and security received one of the largest allocations in the 2025 federal budget, with about N4.9 trillion set aside for personnel, operations and capital projects.

This represents around 13 percent of total government spending, according to budget analysis by BudgIT. The allocation continues a trend that began in 2024, when security already commanded one of the highest shares of national expenditure.

The spending has been matched by significant procurement and modernisation moves. In October 2024, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved borrowing of over $600 million to acquire M-346 fighter jets, part of a plan to boost the Nigerian Air Force’s capacity for counter-insurgency and border security.

Earlier this year, the United States approved a potential $346 million arms sale to Nigeria, covering rockets and munitions, although the deal is still subject to congressional approval in Washington.

These acquisitions are expected to bolster ongoing military campaigns, including operations against oil theft in the Niger Delta and counter-terrorism missions in the North-East.

Beyond the military front, Nigeria’s leaders are grappling with an increasingly urgent debate over the creation of state police. Advocates argue that devolving policing powers to state governments will bring law enforcement closer to communities and help tackle insecurity more effectively.

Opponents, however, fear the arrangement could be politicised and abused by state governors.

The debate has gained momentum in 2024 and 2025, with public hearings and legislative proposals sparking both support and resistance, but no final decision has been reached.

Despite these reforms and investments, concerns persist about accountability and respect for human rights.

Rights groups point out that abuses linked to security operations remain common, undermining public trust and raising doubts about the effectiveness of reforms.

Analysts also warn that without stronger intelligence-sharing, multi-agency coordination and robust oversight, rising budgets and new equipment may not translate into improved security outcomes.

The government, however, insists that reforms are moving in the right direction, pointing to renewed strategies on counter-insurgency, greater emphasis on community policing, and operational successes against criminal networks as signs of progress.

International partners also continue to express support, highlighting Nigeria’s willingness to tackle long-standing gaps in its security architecture.

Experts caution that the true measure of these reforms will hinge on whether legislative intent, international backing, and security spending can be effectively translated into real improvements in public safety and citizens’ trust.

The balancing act between equipping security forces, respecting human rights, and building public confidence will likely define the next phase of Nigeria’s security sector transformation.

Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Olubadan of Ibadanland, has promised to promote justice and fairness in his reign as he is no longer a politician.

Olubadan, who was a former governor of Oyo State, made the promise while receiving some eminent Nigerians, who paid homage to his palace recently.

They include: Abubakar Atiku, former vice president in company of Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, Liyel Imoke, former governor of Cross River, Iyorcha Ayu, former senate president, among others.

Oba Ladoja, who was installed as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland recently, welcomed the delegation and assured that he would use his reign and the rest of his life to serve Ibadan people, Oyo State, Yorubaland and Nigeria at large. ‘I promise to make everybody proud of me as the Olubadan of the ancient city, by ensuring fairness and justice for all,’ he said.

Recalling his good old times with Atiku and other politicians in the country, he said that as the Olubadan, he is no longer a politician.

The former governor recalled, ‘We started from SDP, we were in exile together, we were in PDP together. When I wanted to create an identity, I went to the Accord Party, which became a household name here. I know you politicians have a way of coming back. ‘I was an active politician before but with my new status now, I have to quit politics, but am a father to all now’.

However, Atiku congratulated the monarch and said that the delegation regretted not attending his coronation.

‘It was not intentional, protocol arrangements did not allow us to come during the coronation, not that we don’t want to come,’ Atiku said.

He pointed out that Oba Ladoja had played a crucial role in nation-building saying, ‘We are here to say congratulations to the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja, we know your roles and relationship with some of us’.

Meanwhile, the new Olubadan of Ibadanland has unveiled his socio-economic plans for the ancient city by assuring investors of an enabling environment.

While speaking at a thanksgiving service in his honour at the Ascension of Christ Catholic Church, Bodija, Ibadan, he called on both local and foreign investors to come to Ibadan and invest, assuring of a favourable environment. ‘My major assignment as the Olubadan of Ibadanland is the growth of Ibadanland. I implore investors to come and invest in Ibadan as I will collaborate with the government at all levels to ensure that Ibadan and Oyo State at large maintain their pace-setter status,’ the royal father said.

The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) has posted an operating profit of ?30.47 billion for the 2024 financial year, representing more than double the ?13.75 billion recorded in the previous year.

The performance highlights the Bank’s financial resilience and operational efficiency in delivering on its development finance mandate.

Reflecting this growth, Agusto and Co. Limited, a leading credit rating agency, assigned NEXIM Bank a Bbb+ rating, affirming its satisfactory financial condition and strong capacity to meet obligations relative to other development finance institutions (DFIs) in Nigeria. Established to promote Nigeria’s non-oil exports and support import-substituting businesses, NEXIM is fully owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria through equal shareholding by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).

The Bank has continued to maintain robust liquidity and capital adequacy ratios, with notable expansion in its loan book and equity instruments. Its financing interventions cut across key sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, solid minerals, and services. According to Abba Bello, the bank’s Managing Director, NEXIM has intensified support for non-oil exporters, disbursing over ?495 billion, which has created and sustained more than 36,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Among the Bank’s flagship initiatives are: The Regional Sealink Project, a public-private partnership aimed at improving maritime logistics across West and Central Africa.

Promotion of Factoring Services, providing alternative export financing for SMEs. Joint Project Preparation Fund (JPPF), launched in partnership with Afreximbank to enhance the bankability of export-oriented projects.

Tailored Mining Finance Schemes, including contract mining, equipment leasing, and buyers’ credit/export credit agency (ECA) financing, designed to unlock the sector’s export potential.

Bello reiterated that NEXIM remains committed to strengthening local processing capacity, boosting foreign exchange inflows, and advancing Nigeria’s position in global trade by moving the country up the commodity value chain.

Nick Woltemade and Bruno Guimarães struck in the second half as Newcastle United earned a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, pilling more pressure on under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou.

The defeat extended Forest’s winless start under Postecoglou to seven games, with just one point from their opening four Premier League matches. With the club now sitting just above the relegation zone, scrutiny over the Australian’s future is set to dominate the international break.

After a tense first half at St James’ Park, Guimarães broke the deadlock with a curling effort from outside the box just before the hour mark. Forest players protested, claiming a foul by Guimarães on Morgan Gibbs-White in the build-up, but the goal stood after a VAR check. Newcastle, who had been the league’s lowest scorers heading into the match, pressed for a second. Matz Sels denied Sandro Tonali and Malick Thiaw with smart saves, but he could do nothing to stop Woltemade’s thumping strike off the underside of the bar following a corner.

The Forest goalkeeper kept the scoreline respectable with further stops from Harvey Barnes, but Newcastle sealed the result in stoppage time. Woltemade calmly converted from the penalty spot after Guimarães was brought down by Elliot Anderson.

Postecoglou endured chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ from the home crowd as Newcastle celebrated their second league win of the campaign. Forest, meanwhile, remain mired in 17th and winless under their new boss, whose future looks increasingly uncertain.

In a bid to enhance food security, agribusiness, and sustain agro-economy, the Oyo State Government has expressed readiness to adopt Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) initiative to drive all-year-round farming and agricultural productivity.

The SPIN project is a transformative intervention that will provide dependable irrigation facilities and sustainable power sources for farmers. It will reduce over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, guarantee uninterrupted food production, and ultimately promote food sufficiency across the state.

During an on-the-spot assessment visit to the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority in Iseyin, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, explained that with a functional irrigation system in place, farmers will be able to cultivate high-value crops throughout the year, thereby creating wealth, reducing post-harvest losses, and ensuring stable food supply in both rural and urban areas. He further stressed that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration remains resolute in promoting modern agricultural practices through strategic partnerships, infrastructural support, and technology-driven solutions that will make farming more attractive, especially to the youth.

The commissioner also commended the management of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority for their collaboration and assured that the state government would continue to engage with critical stakeholders to ensure seamless implementation of the initiative.

Esther Olaniyi, director, Irrigation and Drainage, in her remarks, noted that the SPIN initiative had been introduced across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, with Oyo State emerging among the few that had shown genuine readiness to meet the prerequisites.

She emphasized that SPIN is not just about irrigation but also about sustainable development, as it would improve crop yield, expand employment opportunities, and contribute significantly to agricultural growth.

Olaniyi further disclosed that the project would be funded by the World Bank, while participating states are expected to fulfill certain conditions stipulated by the donor.

She urged the Oyo State Government to consider enacting legislation that would safeguard project lands, ensuring they are reserved strictly for agricultural purposes.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government has partnered with the state chapter of Women In Hospitality Nigeria (WIHN) to celebrate the 2025 World Tourism Day, aimed at promoting cultural heritage across the state. Wasiu Olatunbosun, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, while speaking at the 2025 World Tourism Day, held at the National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye, Ibadan, explained that tourism has become a central pillar of the state’s cultural revival and sustainability drive.

He highlighted the government’s achievements in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s Omituntun 2.0 Roadmap for Sustainable Development.

‘Oyo State today is the most active in cultural promotion in the entire Southwest. We have revived festivals that were once at the brink of extinction, and people are now proud to identify with our heritage,’ Olatunbosun said.

The commissioner noted that in December 2023, UNESCO officially recognized and listed the Sango Festival of Oyo as a world intangible cultural festival.

He also revealed plans for the 2026 Egungun Festival, slated for May 2, which will include a symposium that will be done with the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, aimed at documenting and preserving cultural history. He called on individuals, associations, and corporate organizations to partner with the state in sustaining cultural initiatives, stressing that the government cannot do it alone.

Oluwakemi Olusola, regional director, WIHN, in her remarks, expressed gratitude to the state government for its support for the Oyo chapter, which was launched less than two months ago.

She added that the collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has already strengthened the association’s visibility and credibility.

‘The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day is Tourism and Sustainable Transformation. This partnership means a lot to us as women making an impact in the hospitality and tourism industry. Together, we are building not just an association but a community of strong women who have a voice in shaping the future of tourism,’ Olusola said.

Pamela Oriyomi Otuka, curator, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, described the celebration as ‘historic,’ stressing that women, culture, and hospitality are critical to Nigeria’s sustainable tourism future.

One has over the decades discovered that any set of people, community or country who hates the bitter truth live to suffer for it. That perhaps, explains why yours truly has kept emphasizing the critical, yet deliberately foisted fratricidal factors that have cumulatively acted as the enemies to the variant of democracy that we currently practise here in Nigeria. One of the most painful of that is the conduct of fraudulent elections through which humongous state funds are wantonly wasted at the end of which those who are not the choices of the electorate are foisted on the people, to who they have no iota of allegiance. Ordinarily, free, fair and credible elections are supposed to be the strong and solid foundation on which to erect the house of democracy. But when the wrong politicians mount the pedestal of power, the consequences are dire on the pauperised populace.

‘And no less damned is he who puts a friend above his country.

When I see danger threatening my people,

Whatever it may be, I shall declare it.

Our country is our life;

Only when she rides safely,

Have we any friends at all.’

-Antigone (Sophocles)

Such a sad situation of having politicians who are not the true representatives of the people leads to personalization of political power. That is more so by some egocentric and self-righteous political helmsmen, who erroneously believe that the instrument of power they wield is meant to satisfy the self, rather than the state. They brazenly step over the constitution which should be the ground norm through acts of infamy that satisfy their choice or that of so-called friends, not minding the consequences on the people they were elected or selected to serve.

Added to this is the siphoning of state funds through several odious antics for self aggrandisement, or to satiate the gargantuan greed of members of their family, with scarce regards to the rule of law. With such an oddity in place the led majority are left to groan and grind in preventable poverty, yet some policy makers keep chasing the shadows of self righteousness at the expense of the people’s pains. And it hurts those with conscience because Nigeria is so naturally endowed with oil and gas, solid minerals, fertile fields for agricultural development, places od scenic splendour as tourist attractions and of course, the best of brains that we have no reason whatsoever to languish in the pit of poverty, if not for the recurring ugly decimal of successive poor leadership. One other querulous issue is that of ethno-religious sentiment. Going by the choice of people of one ethnic group holding plum political positions, against the federal character principle as we have witnessed over the past decade degrades us as a people -like it or not. In fact, that brings up an all-important question. Have you ever wondered, like my humble self, just how our crop of patriotic founding fathers would feel, should they be brought back to life to see the Nigeria of today?

Imagine if the likes of Herbert Macaulay, Sir Adeyemo Alakija, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Prof. Eyo Ita, Margaret Ekpo (all of the blessed memory) returning to witness the Nigeria of the 21st Century still bitterly enmeshed in ethno-centric and religious divides. Try and also imagine Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Adeleke Adedoyin, Adeniyi Jones, Eric Moore, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Abubakar Dipcharima, Aminu Kano (of the blessed memory) returning to a Nigeria steeped in preventable poverty, mass youth unemployment, insecurity, kidnapping and sundry crimes!

Certainly, these heroes of the struggle for Nigeria’s political independence would ask what has made the difference between countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Nigeria, whose independence came within the same decade or two, if not quality leadership, or the absence of it. They would cringe at the crying shame of a people still struggling for economic survival in the midst of the vast natural resources, 65 years after political independence.

They would wonder just how, like the prodigal son, our successive political leaders have squandered huge revenues from our God-given oil and gas, solid minerals, agricultural and tourism potentials and ask our leaders to explain why we are currently trapped in state and federal government debts running into trillion of Naira. The likes of Michael Imoudu, T.A Bankole, A. A. Adio-Moses, M.A. Tokunbo and T.A. Songonuga, who once ran the affairs of the Nigerian Trade Union Congress would even ask our state governors to explain just how it has become difficult to pay a minimum wage of N70,000 at a time our lawmakers cruise around in luxury automobiles, with some state governors boasting of private jets; flying over children studying under trees in their long-forgotten states! So, what is the best way forward? That is the million-naira question.

The answer, my dear reader, is to read the handwriting on the wall, as it was back in the Biblical times. But some of our political helmsmen, with self-serving and greed-driven agendas, rather than nationalistic principles have blatantly refused to read it. The call for the holistic restructuring of Nigeria has reached a nerve-shredding crescendo, reverberating across the national space. But some have obstinately turned deaf ears to it, or heed its clarion toll.

So, we caution, as we have to do under trying times such as this, out of sheer patriotic fervor, that Nigeria can no longer be run the way it is being run against the ethos of equity and justice. Nigeria can no longer be ruled by the tools of treachery, the weapons of witch-hunt and the cudgels of coercion, worse still under a democratic dispensation. Recent signs in the political horizon are scary enough. This was my position some six years ago, under the then President Muhammadu Buhari. But are we any better today?

To begin with, not a few observers of the polity would agree that Nigerians have not been as divided along ethnic and religious cleavages as we found ourselves eight years ago. For instance, while some concerned Nigerians had expected President Muhammadu Buhari to be guided by the noble mantra of nationalism and give out political appointments to guarantee ethnic equity, that of his first term were obviously skewed in favour of the North and his political acolytes. The question again is that is much different as at 2025?

Lest we forget, barely five months of Buhari’s second term, the issue of which of the geo-political zones to produce the 2023 presidency took precedence over how to pull Nigeria out of the ignoble status of the world’s poverty capital. Or, how to get the army of our job-seeking youth running into millions out of the violent streets. There were then posters of the then Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai adorning, the walls of some cities as he reportedly geared up for the plum political post. Both Babachir Lawal and Ahmed Yerima of the Arewa Youth group were making it loud and clear that the North was not about to hand over the presidential baton to any other section of the country in the next dispensation. That was back in 2015, some ten odd years ago. But is the situation any different as at this day?

The current wave of mass distraction is fixated on the obvious determination of the Bola Tinubu-led government to keep holding on to power against the political angling of the ADC party. Meanwhile, hunger, high inflation, youth unemployment, insecurity remain the daily travails rather than the exception. So, the call for a holistic restructuring of the country resonates.

Let us therefore, listen to the voices of reason. According to the then President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, restructuring Nigeria is the answer to the waves of agitations currently hitting across Nigeria. At a lecture titled: ‘Restructuring Nigeria: Decentralisation for National Cohesion’ delivered in 2017 at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House in London, Nwodo said, ‘Our present constitution is not autochthonous. It was not written by the people of Nigeria. It was not approved in a national referendum. In jurisprudence, its effectiveness will score a very low grade on account of its unacceptability.’

Interestingly, back then and in a similar tone, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the then National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, stated thus in 2017: ‘We all lined up to call ourselves Nigerians without gathering to discuss what it meant, so Nigerians should not condemn but listen and understand the agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra .’ He however, warned against any attempt to split the country. Now, that he is the president of the country, we humbly remind him to do the needful. Restructuring remains the best way forward.