Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The Church of England has named Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to occupy the office in the more than 1,400 year history of the Anglican Communion.

Mullally, who has been serving as Bishop of London since 2018, emerged the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury following the approval of the Crown Nominations Commission and confirmation by the monarch.

Born in Woking, Surrey, in 1962, Mullally trained first as a nurse and rose to become Chief Nursing Officer for England before turning to the priesthood.

She was ordained in 2001, consecrated bishop in 2015, and appointed Bishop of London in December 2017. She has also served as Dean of the Chapel Royal since 2019.

Her appointment comes at a time the Church is still reeling from the leadership crises and abuse scandals that trailed the tenure of Archbishop Justin Welby, who has stepped aside amid mounting criticism of his handling of safeguarding failures.

Mullally has been outspoken on the need for reforms, pledging to strengthen safeguarding standards and restore trust in the Church.

She has also been noted for her careful handling of sensitive issues such as the place of women in ministry and the debate on sexuality, which continue to divide the global Anglican family.

Reactions to her emergence have been mixed. Advocates of gender equality in the Church see it as a historic breakthrough, while conservatives in parts of Africa and Asia are expected to view the development with caution.

Mullally will now face the dual challenge of healing internal divisions and navigating relations across the worldwide Anglican Communion, where theological and cultural differences remain pronounced.

Clerical observers say her background as both a public servant and a church leader gives her a unique mix of administrative competence and pastoral sensitivity that will be critical in her new role.

With her election, the Church of England has taken a bold step that many say could redefine its identity in the years to come.

Chief Oludolapo Ibukun Akinkugbe was a colossus who walked through the business landscape with his footprints boldly planted on the sand. He was primarily and professionally a pharmacist. But, by the time he bade the world bye on September 22, 2025, at age 97, he had made his mark in many sectors of the economy.

Starting as a pharmacist at Central Hospital, Lagos, in 1950, and establishing his own pharmacy store, Palm Chemists, in 1952, he never looked back in leading the pack of indigenous pharmacists.

He was the pioneer chairman of Spectrum Books, a publishing firm, a director of Barclays Bank, chairman of Procter and Gamble, an international pharmaceutical company and West African Portland Cement.

He was equally involved in birthing the IBTC, Chartered Bank, R.T Briscoe and Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC), among many others. He did not stop at that, he was also involved in the Nigerian Union of Pharmacists where he was the general secretary in the 1950s, and later the fourth President of the Pharmacists Society of Nigeria (PSN).

Nigeria was lucky to have had a man like Chief Akinkugbe, acclaimed as a man of integrity who was committed to national development as President Bola Tinubu said in his eulogy at his death. Although he was a self-effacing man, he still got involved in public service as he served on the economic advisory board of his state, Ondo, and at the federal level, where he demonstrated his patriotism.

The greatest legacy that the boardroom guru gave to Nigeria was his uncompromising commitment to business ethics. This is one thing missing in the private and public sectors of the country.

Most people are out to fleece the country, contending that they are merely taking their share of the national cake. At a time that we are reviewing the contribution of the late Chief Akinkugbe to national development, young Nigerians have to look into his impeccable works as chairman of the University of Ife (later Obafemi Awolowo University) and the Morgan Wages Commission.

To shape Corporate Nigeria, he made his mark in the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, and as Vice President of the National Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

He was also one of those who thought it wise to bequeath the Lagos Business School to the nation to ensure that the model of modern business is firmly planted in the country.

Chief Akinkugbe was lucky to have received the gift of long life, which he fully used to the good of Nigeria. He believed in the institution of the family, and showed good example by his marriage to Janet Akinkugbe that yielded children they were proud of.

The couple was united for seven decades and, when his wife died on September 11, just 11 days before him, Chief Akinkugbe said, ‘Janet has been my partner in everything; whatever I achieved, I achieved because she stood beside me’. This is one other example he showed to the younger generations.

Other pioneers in the corporate world now have a duty to guide those currently flying the flag. If Nigeria is to soar high, it will be because the private sector fully aligns with the public service. Time is running out as there are a few Akinkugbes to guide the young ones.

Chief Olu Akinkugbe, born in Ondo, Ondo State, on December 5, 1928, had played his part. Truly, it could be said that he came, he saw, and conquered. He was certainly a man of many parts.

The Chief Executive Officer of Luxe by Glamoholic and founder of the Lachlan Foundation, Ambassador Dr. Princess Akawor has been honoured with the UNIPGC and Jewel Howard Taylor Leadership Excellence and Distinguished Personality Award at the Global Leadership Investment Summit and Peace Awards (GLISPA).

It was held at the House of Lords, UK Parliament.

The international recognition, organisers said, celebrates Akawor’s transformational leadership, advocacy for peaceful coexistence, and contributions to good governance.

A seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years in the fashion industry, Akawor leads Luxe by Glamoholic, a brand with outlets in three major Nigerian cities.

She is also renowned for using her platform to empower women and support vulnerable communities through the Lachlan Foundation.

Armed with a degree in Biomedical Technology from the University of Port Harcourt, she has successfully blended science and fashion to emerge as one of Africa’s outstanding female entrepreneurs.

With this award, the Nigerian fashion icon joins a growing list of local and international recognitions for her impact across business, leadership, and humanitarian service.

Family, friends and well-wishers have gathered in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to celebrate the 80th birthday of former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.

The event was attended by former governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, ex-Nigerian ambassador to Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farombi, and others.

A friend of the celebrant, Dr. Olu Agunloye, who said he had been with the celebrant for over 50 years, described Adeniran as an astute scholar, whose impact could not be quantified.

He said: ‘I’m happy to associate with him, I derive a lot of inspiration from him. He is one of the productive persons I’ve ever met in my life. We have both worked with Bola Ige, Wole Soyinka, Femi Johnson, Bola Akinyemi and others. He is worthy to emulate.’

One of the daughters of the celebrant, Banke Akinsola, said: ‘I thank God for the life of my dad, for sparing him till his 80th birthday. He is a philanthropist, who always opens his door to everyone who needs his help.

‘I’m glad to celebrate and honour him today. His character and loving heart are worthy to be emulated. He is a disciplinarian, who has no tolerance for laziness. He has been inspiring me over the years and he will continue to inspire me.’

The celebrant expressed gratitude to God for His grace and mercy, saying despite all odds, he was able to attain 80.

He said: ‘I am grateful to God, because it is by his grace, despite all odds that I made it. Not only that He has granted me the grace to witness my 80th birthday, but He also ensures I have lived a meaningful life. I wouldn’t have been here today if not for God. He has been very faithful to me.”

Adeniran, who urged Nigerians to move closer to God and follow His instructions, said: ‘Let’s appreciate what God has done for Nigeria. The nation is blessed with human and materials resources. It’s now left to us to show God that we appreciate what He has done for us through our commitment to him and the society.

‘We need to transform the lives of Nigerians, for a better society. The younger generations should wake up. It is their future that is being wasted if the nation is not doing well.”

Before enlisting in the U.S. Army, Nigerian-American Yewande Olugbodi Fagunwa, popularly known as Olori Wendy, had already carved a niche for herself as a Nollywood film producer with several titles to her credit.

Today, she is blending her creative background with military discipline to champion a pressing cause – the fight against homelessness in America.

On August 1, 2025, Wendy set out from California in a rental car with a bold mission: to drive through all 48 contiguous U.S. states within a month. But beyond the adventure lay a deeper purpose – to spotlight the struggles of the homeless by immersing herself, in part, in their reality.

‘This wasn’t just about me driving around the country,’ she told The Nation. ‘It was about sharing the experience of people who live without a home, and giving them a voice.’

Throughout the journey, her vehicle often served as her home. She spent nights at truck stops, 24-hour rest areas, or curled up in the driver’s seat. She stretched her budget with packed snacks and occasional hot meals, while showers at truck stops or gyms cost up to $18. ‘Sleeping in the car wasn’t always easy, but it was part of the story I wanted to tell,’ she explained.

Her resolve was tested by storms, car troubles, and moments of doubt, yet she pressed on. Along the way, Wendy distributed relief items and money to the homeless, listening to their stories and sharing her own. ‘Sleeping in a vehicle was symbolic for me,’ she said. ‘It was a way to feel, even just a fraction, of what so many homeless people endure every night.’

Though she faced delays that stretched her schedule beyond her birthday on August 26, Wendy completed the 48-state drive. Hawaii and Alaska remain for another day, but for her, the journey has already achieved its essence – resilience, compassion, and advocacy.

‘It all started as a dream,’ she reflected. ‘But the dream became a mission. And the mission is far from over.

The National Assembly is considering amendments to the Electoral Act which will likely include the conduct of all elections in one day.

House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who gave the assurance yesterday, hinted that Presidential, gubernatorial, national, and state House of Assembly elections might be held on the same day should the bill be passed and assented to by the President.

He spoke when a delegation of the European Union Election Observation follow-up mission to Nigeria’s 2023 general election visited him in Abuja yesterday.

The Barry Andrews-led delegation also visited Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where it chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, warned that delay by the lawmakers in amending the Electoral Act 2022 could hamper preparations for the 2027 general election.

The delegation, which has been in the country for about three weeks to study the level of implementation of the recommendations contained in its report after the 2023 general election, also interfaced with the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

Abbas, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Leke Bayeiwu, told the EU team that its reports on the 2023 polls were being considered in the ongoing electoral and democratic reforms by the National Assembly.

Abbas said: ‘I want to acknowledge that the leadership of the country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to ensuring that we improve on our electoral processes, particularly regarding the observations made (by international observers) on the 2023 elections.

‘We in the National Assembly have also been busy working to gather as many issues as possible, arising from the last elections, so that we can see how we can legislatively address them; so that our next election will be more transparent, acceptable and in alignment with international standards.’

He told the team that a recent joint Senate and House of Representatives leadership meeting resolved to isolate electoral amendment issues and accelerate their consideration and passage.

He allayed fears about the timeliness of the reforms.

He said: ‘We agreed that because of some of the amendments that we want to bring forth – (some are by way of Act of Parliament, some are by constitutional amendment) we will fast track and isolate the electoral issues and take them as one, single entity; and push them forward for the National Assembly to deliberate and take a position; and then send them to the sub-nationals (state Houses of Assembly) to also consider within a short timeframe – between now and December.’

Reassuring that the Parliament was ‘very serious’ about electoral reforms, Abbas said the National Assembly was proposing new initiatives, including reserved parliamentary seats for women, reserved parliamentary seats for Persons With Disability (PLWDs), a constitutional role and financial autonomy for traditional rulers, a single-day election, among others.

He explained that it was the thinking of many members of the National Assembly that a single-day election would not only improve efficiency and transparency in electoral conduct but also reduce costs by almost 40 per cent.

He said: ‘Like the single-day election, it is to hold the election of the president, National Assembly membership, governorship and state House of Assembly membership elections on the same day.

‘In our own thinking, it will help to reduce our electoral costs to as much as 40 per cent if we can hold the elections within a day. It will also improve transparency and increase efficiency, particularly on the turnout of voters.’

The Speaker, however, urged the EU to assist the National Assembly in the area of advocacy and publicity, especially at the subnational level.

‘One takeaway from this meeting is to take the assurance from me and my colleagues that we will not be late. We will do the needful as far as legislation is concerned to enable INEC to have all the necessary tools and provisions to make the 2027 election much better than the 2023 election,’ he said.

Leader of the delegation, Andrews, who earlier wished the Speaker a happy 60th birthday, thanked him for working with the EU on different policies.

Andrews, a European Parliamentary member, expressed the desire of the EU to see Nigeria’s democracy and elections meet international standards.

He told Abbas that part of the recommendations in the 2023 election report required legislative initiatives. He admitted that some had been carried out by the National Assembly.

‘We have a good story to tell, frankly,’ Andrews said, but expressed concerns about the possibility of an amended Electoral Act being ready for use by INEC to conduct the 2027 polls.

INEC seeks quick amendment to Electoral Act

Receiving the EU team, INEC chairman Yakubu charged the National Assembly to quicken the amendment to the current Electoral Act.

He warned that the non-existence of a new legal framework could negatively affect its preparations for the 2027 elections.

‘We appeal to the National Assembly for an expeditious consideration of the electoral reform proposal. An early passage of law is critical to our planning for the elections,” Yakubu said.

He added: ‘An Election is a process governed by law. Many of your recommendations require the review of our electoral laws. For this reason, the commission had interfaced with our National Assembly, including holding a retreat with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters (Senate and House of Representatives).

”Uncertainty over the legal framework for the election can unsettle the work of the Commission as the election draws nearer.’

The INEC boss told the delegation that their current visit was the third ‘ that the present commission is receiving such a mission.”

He said: ”I recall that in 2017, we received Mr Santiago Fisas, who led the EU Election Observation to Nigeria’s 2015 General Election.

”Similarly, in 2022, we hosted Maria Arena, who led the EU Election Observation Mission to Nigeria in 2019. Today, we are glad to receive Mr Barry Andrews, who led the EU Mission to the 2023 general election.

‘In 2019, the EU EOM made 30 recommendations, out of which 11 were specifically addressed to INEC. Three of them were identified as priority recommendations, while eight were categorised as general.

‘By comparison, your 2023 report made 23 recommendations, out of which eight (34.8 per cent) require action by INEC, of which only one recommendation was listed as a priority.

”The remaining 15 (65.2 per cent) recommendations, of which five were categorised as priority, require action by other entities in the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary, as well as political parties and multiple stakeholders such as civil society organisations, the media and professional bodies.

‘The commission has carefully considered all eight recommendations specifically addressed to us in your report. Action has been taken on aspects of the recommendations that only require administrative action to implement.

‘Similarly, action is being taken on cross-cutting recommendations that require collective action between INEC and other bodies and stakeholders while waiting for the conclusion of the ongoing legal review by the National Assembly on the recommendations that require legislative intervention.

‘To this end, the commission has prepared a detailed response on each one of your direct observations, which we shared with you at this meeting. If time permits, we can go over each of the recommendations seriatim.

‘I must also add that your recommendations, along with similar reports from other national and international election observers, were the subject of wide-ranging consultations with critical institutions and stakeholders during our own review of the 2023 general election.

‘The review report contains 142 recommendations for electoral reform. In addition, the commission published our main 2023 general election report over a year ago. The two reports are available from our website.

‘We look forward to the next EU EOM for the 2027 General Election. As you are aware, international Election Observation Missions are deployed on the invitation of the commission. I want to reassure you that we will continue to engage with you.’

‘Very soon, the commission will send out invitations to the EU as well as the Commonwealth, the African Union and ECOWAS for the 2027 general election. We believe that the recommendations arising from your observation of our election and electoral process help to improve the quality of our elections and electoral activities.’

The delegation told Yakubu that the EU was pleased with the implementation of some of its recommendations on the 2023 general election by INEC

He insisted that Nigeria must move beyond half-measures.

Andrews pointed out that election observation is not about interference, but strengthening democracy in Nigeria, in Africa, and across the world.

Andrews warned that reforms in the judiciary, administration, and the Constitution remain too slow, with transparency in result publication still unresolved.

Former Oyo State First Lady and wife of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Ayaba Mutiat Ladoja, has donated over N2 million in cash and several million worth of items to at least 16 orphanages and care homes for Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD) as part of activities marking her 70th birthday.

She urged government at all levels, corporate bodies, and well-meaning individuals to be more responsive to the challenges faced by PLWDs, stressing that they deserve love, care, and opportunities rather than discrimination.

Ayaba Ladoja added that many PLWDs possess untapped potential that can be nurtured through scholarships and other forms of support to help them achieve greatness in life.

She said, ‘I started associating with the Persons Living with Disabilities 30 years ago. I have been using the few resources that God blesses me with to assist them.

‘They deserve our attention, love, and care. Rather than looking down on them, we should identify their potential and build on it.

‘We should let them have a sense of belonging. They are part of society. The government at all levels, corporate organisations, and individuals should intensify their efforts towards them.

‘Disabilities can come in any form. It comes with age. It can come through accident and any other forms, hence the reason we must not look down on them. We all have our disabilities.

‘When they want to cross the road, assist them instead of making a mockery of their situation. Also, assist them with the little that you have. Don’t wait until you have millions of naira in your account

‘I started what we are witnessing today 30 years ago. It has become my way of life, and I thank the likes of Babs Oduyoye for sharing the vision.

‘Today, I will be giving N100,000 to 15 Homes, two wheelchairs, two bags of rice each, two cartons of Indomie each, and cartons of soap

‘Also, five vulnerable people will be assisted with Deep chest freezers and grinding machines to start their businesses.

‘My message to us is that we should show them love, attention, and care.’

More than 200 PLD attended the birthday celebrations with members of the PLD community on the live band stand.

Delivering a public lecture earlier at the event, the Chief Imam, Oluyole Estate Extension, Southwest, Ring Road, Ibadan, Alhaji Mudashiru Bada quoted various philosophers and views of scholars that have shaped the thinking of people on perseverance and resilience.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Celebrating the woman of substance at 70’, the guest lecturer noted that Ayaba Ladoja, despite being out of government for years, has never withdrawn her support for a pet project she started while in office as the First Lady.

He described the monarch’s wife as a landscape of charity in the eyes of a discerning mind, urging her not to relent in her vision of giving succour to humanity within the limit of her visionary capacity to the glory of God and admiration of mankind.

Bada said, ‘This summarises my definitions of our dear mama of substance. Her Excellency Ayaba Mutiat Ladoja, who, despite that she is no longer in governance, has never withdrawn her profound and unwavering commitment in respect of her Idera De Pet project, her servitude to God through succor to humanity.

‘A woman of vision and a landscape in the eye of a discerning mind she is, allowing others to see the hope inside and beyond.’

‘Are they (the umbelievers) claiming the possession of the right to distribute the bounties of your Lord? It is ‘We’ (Allah) that distribute among people their sources of livelihood in this world and ‘We’ exalt some in rank above others so that some may employ the services of others. Your Lord’s mercy is better by far than all their hoarded treasures’. Q. 43: 32

Preamble

History is resplendent with lessons for people whose steps in life are in tandem or not with Allah’s guidance. There is no life’s odyssey without a divine warning. Heeding or shunning such a warning is however a matter of choice. And the consequences or otherwise of such a choice will eventually become the heritage of the concerned person.

We live in a world, today, that is quite different from that of the centuries past when the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). But surprisingly, nothing in the contemporary world has run counter to the predictions of that sacred Book or those of the last Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

For instance, business transactions in the time of the Prophet might not involve high technology or the sophistication of transport as of today but the norms which guided business in those days are still as vital today as they were then. Not even the introduction of mundane ideologies like capitalism, socialism, and communism has altered those norms. So far, the source of the wealth of the world has not changed from what it was in the past millennia. That source is the earth from which every atom of wealth emanates. Even the materials used to manufacture satellites or space shuttle aircraft are from the earth.

Thus, from agriculture to nuclear device, no new norm has been introduced to warrant any new world order that can affect the faith of the Muslims. As a matter of fact, the world has witnessed the collapse of communism and that of socialism within a period of 74 years despite their overbearing influence when they held sway. It is just a matter of time for the current pervading capitalism to go the way of socialism and communism.

Economic ideology

An unlettered personality like Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did not need to formulate any mundane economic ideology to run a great Islamic government. He was not just a political leader but also an economic expert, a great law giver and an army general of impeccable status.

Without necessarily going into details on how he managed the economy of the Islamic state which he established and ruled from the scratch, it is obvious that even his ascension to the seven planets which paved way for modern man’s exploration of the space is of immense economic value to the contemporary world which no sensible critic can logically dispute. Although the Quran which was revealed to an unlettered Muhammad (SAW) is seen by some ignorant people as a mere religious Book, the economic value of that Book has remained unquantifiable and will remain so forever. The fast-spreading Islamic banking in the West today is a clear evidence of that fact.

Being the most read book in the world, the Quran has been translated into hundreds of languages making it possible for millions of people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to be employed at the various segments of the world’s economy. For instance, the writing of the Qur’an, its recitation, its proof-reading, its printing, its marketing, its teaching, its translation, its interpretation and even its criticism by unbelievers are all sources of economic survival for millions of people in the world irrespective of their religions. The global engagement in research on that glorious Book by various scholars and intellectuals either for acknowledgement of facts or for criticism are an attestation to the above assertion. There was no book like the Qur’an before its revelation and there will never be a book like it till the world will come to an end. The mounting hostility to it in certain quaters is largely due to ignorance about it. But that cannot continue forever.

Islam as employer of labour

If only one quarter of a billion people is gainfully employed in the workings of the Quran alone, today’s world economy would have been remarkably upheld by the religion of Islam. Yet, apart from the Qur’an, millions of people are engaged in various businesses relating to Hadith (Prophetic Tradition), Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), Tarikh (Islamic History), Tawhid (Faith in the oneness of Allah) and Thaqafah (Islamic Culture) among others. All such specialized books which emanated from the Qur’an itself were advanced to compliment the sacred Book of Allah.

Even, for hundreds of years that the Orientalists were busy citicising Islam through their satanic publications, it was undeniable that those destroyers were benefiting from the economic legacy of that divine religion through the sale of their evil publications.

Today, even as the same Orientalists are busy reversing themselves on what they had maliciously published about Islam in the past they are still benefiting economically from that great religion.

However, despite the vast economic advantages provided by Islam, some unscrupulous Muslims including Nigerians still engage in illegal businesses that contravene the tenets of that divine religion. Some of such Muslims are among the thousands of Nigerians who are now languishing in various prisons around the world. Some others are even sentenced to death, by various means, as punishment for their crimes. Incidentally, some of such people often commit their atrocities under the cover of Islam. This happened even during the time Hajj rites.

This reminds yours sincerely of a fortuitous encounter with one of them as far back as 1981 which keeps my heart quivered even today. I had once relayed that ugly encounter in this column through an article entitled ‘Business made in Prison’. But I decided to repeat it here today because it was an experience from which young Nigerian Muslim men and women of today can draw a lesson from.

Illicit act

A Nigerian youth of about 30 years of age called Akram (not real name) did not have anything like poultry in his dream when he was going into Saudi Arabian prison as a convict in 1981. His only prayer was for Allah to influence the minds of the Saudi Authorities to have mercy for him and grant him amnesty after two or three years in prison. His service term was 15 years. He had earned the sentence through drug trafficking engendered by blind ambition to be quickly rich by all means.

Akram is a quiet, easy-going young man from one of the Southwest Nigerian cities. He graduated from the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia. I first met him in 1978 when I went for a first degree in that country. His University was in Madinah while mine was in Jeddah. He left Saudi Arabia after graduating in 1980 and settled down in Nigeria following a one year compulsory national service to the nation. In his plan, Akram did not want to work for anybody. His ambition was to be a big merchant of automobile and electronics. However, since there was no ready-made capital with which to start off such a business, he decided to take a short cut, typical of Nigerian style and he found Saudi Arabia, the country that funded his University education, as most suitable for such a dirty business. Thus, he embarked on his first illicit ‘business trip’ to the country of his Alma Mata in 1981.

It was on my way back to school from a summer holiday of the same year that I met him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. After embracing and exchanging pleasantries, we decided to sit together in the aircraft (of the then Nigerian Airways) in order to have a chat on the good old days and our expected future. Thus, from Lagos to Jeddah (a journey of five and a half hours), we really chatted to our fill. Then It was as if we had not spent one hour when we arrived at King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah after five and a half hours.

Youthful dream

As bachelors, we discussed various issues ranging from marriage, bearing of children to monogamy and polygamy as well as family structure. We gossiped on the political trend in our country as championed by the then ruling party, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). We compared Nigeria’s pace of development with that of Saudi Arabia and concluded that our government had neither focus nor plan a situation which made Nigerian youths abroad feel like orphans.

We also talked about world peace, the then cold war between the Western Capitalist World championed by the United States and the Eastern Socialist Block championed by the now defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and the future of Islam in Africa and the Middle East. We analysed the Middle East crises and the role of the two opposing world powers in those crises. We also veered into Nigeria’s micro economy by discussing the role of small and middle scale businesses in our country compared to those of other countries with similar status like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Singapore, India, Pakistan and Egypt.

Without gazing through any crystal ball, we concluded that with no middle class in place, our country might have no hope except through an accidental miracle. We also reviewed the use to which Nigerian oil was put vis-a-vis that of Saudi Arabia, Libya or Algeria. On this, we concluded that oil in Nigeria was a blessing from Allah which the country’s ruling class turned into a curse. But we were not experienced enough to suggest tangible solution.

Thus, in that long conversation which touched virtually all issues affecting the corporate life of Nigeria and her citizens, we agreed on some and disagreed on some. However, we were satisfied to have delivered our minds of their pregnancies if only to broaden our horizon.

Point of departure

On arrival at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, my friend quickly dashed into the toilet and requested me to help push his baggage to the security desk for checking. He promised to join me shortly. It was almost my turn for security check before an instinct gingered me into consciousness. For more than 30 minutes after he entrusted his baggage to me and went into the toilet, my friend did not resurface. Something just told me to abandon his baggage as I was approaching the checking desk and I did. My own baggage was checked and I went out of the arrival hall to wait for him at the taxi garage. After about one hour of waiting and Akram did not surface, I decided to proceed to my hostel where he was to pass the night in my room as we had earlier agreed.

Breaking News

While I was still expecting him in my hostel, the electronic waves throbbed with breaking news. The Saudi Television reported the arrest of a Nigerian who smuggled drugs into the holy land. His name was ‘Akram’. That was at 9pm Saudi local time. We had arrived in Jeddah at about 9.00am that day. About one hour after the breaking news, my friend was brought to the gleer of the nation through the tube and paraded on the Saudi national television as the suspected culprit in the illicit drug trafficking. That was one of the most frightening moments of my life. Akram wanted to be rich and I was to pay the cost of his richness.

Rumination

What would have happened if I had not heeded the warning of my instinct? Who could have imagined that a seeming gentleman like ‘Akram’ would ever think of trafficking in drug for whatever reason? If I had been caught with Akram’s baggage, what explanation could have exonerated me? Those were some of the questions that immediately ran through me like milk runs through water and changed my mind about sentimental friendship with people, no matter how innocent they might look. There and then, I decided never to assist anybody again in carrying his or her baggage while on a journey.

After about three months of trial, Akram was sentenced to fifteen years in jail. He was lucky that drug trafficking at that time in Saudi Arabia had not attracted death as punishment. If it were now, the punishment would have been death sentence by beheading. I was also lucky that at that time the Saudi immigration authorities had not adopted the use of secret camera to monitor passengers.

Prison for reformation

For 15 years thereafter (from 1981 to 1996), Akram remained behind bars languishing in Saudi Arabian prison as an inmate among criminals as he anxiously expected to be let off the hook one day. But one good thing about Saudi Arabia as a country or any other Islamic country for that matter is the concept of reformation which imprisonment entails. Inmates are not just imprisoned as punishment for crimes they are also prepared for a better post-prison life and re-orientated for better world outlook.

Besides, prisoners are paid a specific amount of money daily for their labour in prison. And that gives them hope of reintegration into the society after leaving the prison. Such money is kept in a special bank account opened for them. The total amount is paid to each inmate after his or her prison term.

Thus, when Akram left the prison in 1996, the post-prison money paid to him by Saudi government became his main lot in life. He was deported to Nigeria but not without that prison labour reward that became his capital for a poultry business. Thus, within a couple of years thereafter, he had become a big poultry farmer but whether or not he learnt any lesson from that incident is another matter.

Qur’anic admonition

Most of the young men and women of today do not seem to believe in crawling before walking. To them, what matters most in their lives is how to quickly get money to spend and not how such money is made. That is the main cause of the high rate of crimes witnessed around the world today and the entailed short life span for those youths. In Qur’an, Chapter 43, Verse 32 quoted above, Allah had warned Muslims against desperate accumulation of wealth over 1,400 years ago even when desperate quest for wealth was unfashionable. However, the refusal by today’s youths to heed that warning and the aggressive greed of the privileged elders in power constitute the main cause of restiveness and insurrection around the world today.

In Islam, desperation for accumulation of wealth is prohibited because it encourages a focus on the end result rather than the means and its entailed immorality. In the past decades, Nigeria had sunk so deep into the valley of corruption that no one cared to ask about the source of any wealth even as corruption became the taproot of Nigeria’s tree of existence. Now, with parents, teachers and even legislators getting so desperate to become rich even right before their pupils and children what future is expected for those wards?

Parochial wealth estimation

Desperation is not what fetched Nigeria the enormous oil wealth of today. If desperation ever had any role to play in accumulating wealth, perhaps Nigeria would have long become a country in penury. This is because people who were more desperate in this same country and had lived and died some centuries back would have discovered this oil wealth and they would have exhausted it long before our own generation. But in consonance with the above quoted Qur’anic verse, Allah deliberately preserved it (oil) for our own generation for a reason best known to Him. Yes, oil may be the source of wealth at this time it is surely not the last source of wealth in this country.

There are other sources of wealth preserved for the future generations which no desperate ‘awks’ in this generation can discover. Those who see oil as the climax of wealth and want to own its control or die for it should engage in a rethink. You can only have the privilege of presiding over the wealth of a nation for a while and not for all time. The experience of some past regimes in Nigeria should serve as a sufficient lesson. And those in government today should also note this very well. The privilege of the past did not extend to the present and that of the present will not extend to the future. Every era is a transit. And every transit has a term.

Veteran Nollywood actor Duro Michael has died after a prolonged illness.

He reportedly died of diabetes, an illness that kept him bedridden for months.

Movie producer Stanley Ontop announced his death.

He wrote on Instagram: ‘Nollywood actor Duro Michael has kicked the bucket. He died a few days ago after battling a terminal illness. May his soul rest in peace. Omo, it’s well ooo. We don’t help ourselves in this Nollywood, and it’s too bad. No synergy.’

Duro Michael was a renowned figure in Nollywood, widely recognized for his roles in several films.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has said the process for the appointment of judicial officers has become more transparent than before.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, who is also the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), said this while presenting a paper, titled: Innovations in Judicial Practice: Embracing Change for A Better Future, at the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges’ Association Triennial Conference in Banjul, The Gambia.

The NJC, at the 108th meeting of the association on April 29 and 30, approved a landmark policy to publish the names of candidates under consideration for appointment as judicial officers, and to invite public input.

In her presentation, she explained that the policy adopted by the NJC was to introduce an additional layer of transparency into the process of appointing judges by ensuring that members of the public and other relevant stakeholders can raise objections, provide information, or endorse nominees before appointments are finalised.

According to her, this is a deliberate effort to strengthen accountability, enhance public trust, and align Nigeria’s appointment procedures more closely with international best practices, including those recommended in the Constitution Hill Guidelines.

The Constitution Hill Global Guidelines on Apex Court Appointments, published in September 2024, provide globally for a set of baseline principles tailored to the singular role of apex courts as the final arbiters of constitutional interpretation and guardians of democratic governance.

Justice Kekere-Ekun noted that members of the public are already taking advantage of the initiative, as shown in the last exercise for the appointment of judicial officers conducted by the NJC.

The CJN averred that ‘in a plural society, such as Nigeria, with over 200 million citizens across different ethnic, religious, and linguistic identities, the visibility of diversity on the Supreme Court bench strengthens public confidence and assures citizens that the judiciary reflects the society it serves’.

She stressed that despite several efforts to strengthen the process of appointing judicial officers, some challenges linger.