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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has urged residents and business owners in Abuja to pay their taxes promptly, noting that steady tax payments are key to sustaining the ongoing infrastructure projects across the city and its surrounding areas.

Wike made the appeal on Monday during the flag-off of new road and drainage projects in Asokoro Extension.

He said tax revenue remains central to government efforts to deliver quality roads, drainages, streetlights, and other public facilities.

He emphasized that paying taxes is both a civic duty and an investment in collective well-being.

He said: ‘All these good roads, drainages, and streetlights wouldn’t be possible if you don’t pay your taxes.

‘Dis soup sweet, na money kill am. If you don’t have money to buy the right ingredients, the soup won’t taste good. In the same way, if we don’t have funds, we can’t deliver the kind of city Abuja deserves.

When you pay your taxes, you are buying comfort, safety, and pride for Abuja. So, let’s all do our part to make this city the pride of the nation.’

The Minister explained that the projects are part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope infrastructure agenda aimed at repositioning Abuja to compete with other major cities globally.

‘This government is committed to ensuring that the FCT competes favorably with other cities of the world,’ Wike said. ‘What you see in the developed world isn’t magic, it’s the result of leadership commitment. That is what Mr. President has brought to Abuja.’

Over the past ten days, Wike has launched several projects across the FCT, including roads, water systems, and streetlights. He said the Asokoro project shows the government’s determination to develop every part of the capital.

‘Without proper road networks, drainages, and streetlights, life becomes difficult. But by the time these are completed, Asokoro will rank among the most beautiful areas in Abuja,’ he assured.

Wike also noted that the ongoing projects have created jobs for thousands of young people through the construction firms working across the city.

‘Everywhere you go, construction is ongoing and that means jobs for our young people. This is part of the Renewed Hope agenda,’ he said.

He added that the FCT Administration will soon begin rehabilitation of 40 schools and start new projects in the health sector.

‘We’ve touched transport, roads, sports, and education. Now we’re moving to health. No sector will be left untouched,’ he stated.

The Minister called for continued public support and patience, saying progress takes time and resources.

‘The Abuja of two years ago is not the same today and by tomorrow, it will be even better,’ Wike concluded.

THE Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has said voters across the North and the South will reject President Bola Tinubu’s bid for reelection in 2027.

Reacting to a recent statement by the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the South West coordinator of GHSM, Alhaji Abass Olaniyi, said the party’s ‘usual arrogance and false sense of invincibility’ will once again lead to its downfall at the polls.

‘In 2023, it was in this same manner that the Lagos APC dismissed opposition elements as ‘online politicians,’ only to lose the presidential election in Lagos to the very people they mocked,’ Abass stated.

‘The APC not only lost the presidential election in Lagos State, but Tinubu also lost across Southern Nigeria. He was merely rescued by the APC in Northern Nigeria, a base that has now completely evaporated,’ he added.

It said the northern bloc that supported President Tinubu in 2023 has since ‘fractured beyond repair’ due to what it described as the catastrophic economic and security failures of his administration.

Abass criticised the APC’s economic management, accusing the party of presiding over a decade-long collapse that ‘defies logic.’

‘For 10 years under APC leadership, Nigeria’s economy has suffered a collapse that defies logic. The economy has shrunk by almost 50 percent within a decade, an economic disaster unprecedented in Nigerian history.

‘Not even during military rule, nor in the civil war era, did the nation experience this depth of economic devastation,’ he said.

The movement said the APC administration has failed woefully in addressing insecurity, despite campaigning on the promise to end insurgency in the North East.

He described the Tinubu administration as ‘synonymous with hunger, poverty, and hopelessness,’ adding that the people of Nigeria can no longer be deceived by propaganda or empty promises.

Olaniyi emphasised that the 2027 general elections would not be determined by regional loyalty or political coercion, but by the people’s lived realities.

‘With the decapitation of the APC in the North and its dismal record in office, no amount of coercion or conscription of Southern State chief executives into its fold can offer it a pathway out of comprehensive defeat in 2027,’ he said.

‘The South West electorate is far too educated and progressive to reward monumental failure with another term simply because President Tinubu hails from the region,’ he added.

Responding to the APC’s mockery of Dr Gbenga Hashim, Abass drew a parallel with former President Muhammadu Buhari, who contested four times before achieving victory.

‘President Buhari, whose burial site President Tinubu is now clutching to like a political totem for the 2027 election, contested four good times before becoming victorious. The time for victory in the race of life is in the hand of God, and it is our firm belief that 2027 is the time of Dr Gbenga Hashim by the Grace of God,’ he declared.

The GHSM maintained that Gbenga Hashim’s ideology of responsible governance and people-centered politics has become the new hope for millions of Nigerians disillusioned by the deceit and manipulation of the Tinubu political structure.

The movement stated that the 2027 elections will not be a contest of propaganda, but a referendum on competence, truth, and genuine development.

‘The people have seen through the deceit. No political marketing can sell hardship as progress anymore. Gbenga Hashim will not only emerge as the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2027; he will defeat Bola Tinubu and restore Nigeria to the path of justice, prosperity, and national unity,’ the group said.

Hon Dayo Ogungbenro was last week Monday at the Oyo State congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reelected the state chairman of the party, in this interview with YINKA OLADOYINBO, he speaks about his agenda for the party in the next four years, the challenges facing the major opposition party and its chances come 2027. Excerpts:

What is your agenda as you assume office for the second term as the chairman of the PDP in Oyo State?

First and foremost, I have to give glory to God for making it possible for me to return to office for another term, this is another koseleri in Oyo State politics for the chairman of PDP to serve two terms, I also have to thank the governor of the state, Engineer Seyi Makinde for the opportunity to serve and like he charged which I also associate myself with the greatest challenging this party is to deliver governorship in 2027 and there is no compromise about that, and that is to serve as a note of warning to other opposition parties in the state that there is no vacancy in Agodi Government House

Now that you have said the PDP will rule Oyo state beyond 2027, how do you think that is achievable with the situation the party found itself in the country?

Yes, it is noted that we don’t have any issue in the party in the state, there might be challenges at the federal level and there is no political party without its own issue and politics is essentially about continuous engagements and compromise, so soonest the party will still find her foot. Just like I said, ni issue in Oyo state PDP, if anybody has any issue in party politics in Oyo state it will be in APC, the major opposition party, so I don’t see anything coming our way in 2027 by the special grace of God.

At the state Congress of the party, there were some notable leaders that were not at the venue, doesn’t that portend internal wranglings in the party?

I don’t see it in that perspective.

To many people, Seyi Makinde is the only factor making PDP strong in Oyo State, how are you going to sustain the relevance of the party after the expiration of his tenure in 2027?

Yes, I have heard people saying it that Seyi Makinde is PDP and PDP is Seyi Makinde, I also said it when the former vice president Atiku Abubakar was here to campaign in 2023 at Mapo, I told the dignitaries that were present that that is the situation in Oyo State. Having said that and having known that the governor will soon finish his constitutional two terms, this kind of question is very germane, but remember when Seyi Makinde was coming, many people didn’t give him chance as far as performance in party politics is concerned. Many people argued that he is from the corporate world, he is a corporate man, he doesn’t know anything about politics. Our late leader, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of blessed memory even said he has not been a councilor, he hasn’t been this and that, but to the glory of God Seyi Makinde performed beyond expectations of an average doubting Thomas. Since we have agreed that politics is dynamic, that dynamism will be brought into play to ensure that the PDP maintain its lead, in Oyo State come 2027. If you say the governor has a superlative performance, voters in the state are aware of this. In fact, the question people are asking me now is that whenever Seyi leaves how do you think you will sustain the performance of your party? All they are asking for is we should tell the governor that whoever is coming as a successor should be someone that can perform up to that level or even beyond. Once upon a time in this state we have instances where salaries were not paid for more than eight months, Seyi Makinde came and promised that salary will be paid as and when due and up till today it has not changed. Ask the civil servants, the teachers, pensioners, even artisans, students, market women, they are all yearning for Seyi Makinde. However, he won’t be on the governorship ballot come 2027 and that is not my major headache now. I will now have to go and tell these people that the governor won’t be on the ballot, so we have to buckle up so as to maintain the level of the performance of Seyi Makinde come 2027 or more than that, we won almost all the local government during the last election and we are going to repeat that. All we are praying for is that God will be magnanimous to our leader to make the right choice and I can assure you that the right choice will be made.

With many aspirants that want to succeed the governor, how are you going to ensure that an acceptable candidate emerge in a rancour free situation?

All is politics and we have witnessed this type of thing for years, we know how to do our things, look at the last congresses from wards to the local governments and to the state level, no quarell, no skirmishes, no cutlass, the PDP in Oyo State has come of age irrespective of our different political ambitions, we will disagree to agree because the greatest disservice we can do to Seyi Makinde is not to win in 2027 and we are winning by the grace of God. In due course I will be all over the state spreading the gospel according to Seyi Makinde, so that an average person in the state will not rely on him alone, but will rely on him and PDP together.

As a state chairman of the PDP, are you not worried about the crisis rocking the party at the national level?

I am not, politics is about choices and about I want this, I want that and when your choices are not being met definitely you move to other platforms to ventilate it. Former president Muhammadu Buhari contested three times and at the third attempt he wept openly before they formed another alliance and they succeeded in pushing the PDP out of power. Be that as it may, people are free to make choices as far as politics or any association is concerned , as they go other people are coming , that is politics for you, as a matter of fact, a lot of them that have gone are already coming back, so let us wait and see, this is just 2025 and we are going to 2027, a lot water will still pass under the bridge before that time.

Are you saying despite the present situation, the party is still in a good position to win election at the national level come 2027?

Definitely, if we are talking of opposition parties in Nigeria today can we rate anyone over PDP? Even if ADC is coming up. Honestly, we flop our chances in 2023 and we have to blame ourselves because some people believe they can move on without this and that. During our campaign at Mapo with all the dignitaries sitting, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide was there, Halleluyah (Senator Hosea Agboola) was also there, I told them frankly, on no ambiguous term that don’t be deceived that Seyi Makinde is a factor in PDP. The greatest error PDP made in 2023 was that Atiku could not muster enough will to unite the party and that was what caused him the presidency. I told them publicly as a political scientist , how can you jettison five sitting governors, they were not former governors, they were sitting governors and I told them the truth, I even arranged a meeting between Alhaji Atiku and my principal, but eventually some people were pushing Baba Atiku and we saw how it all ended, that would have been the greatest opportunity for this party to come back to power.

As someone that has been involved in elections over the years, what are the areas of our electoral system that you think need to be reformed or amended for us to have near perfect elections?

First and foremost, the way we appoint the INEC chairman should be changed for the good of the generality of the country. They said there is no historian without his or her biases, once you know you are the appointing authority you can do anything and pretend to be otherwise. It is wrong for the president to continue to be the sole appointing authority of INEC chairman and the commissioners, we should evolve a system through which they would be appointed that would be devoid of the biases of the president. If we want to be nationalistic in our approach we should change certain things and that is why some people said even after 65 years of independence Nigeria still remains an ordinary geographical expression because of the primordial interest, we should chart course for nationalism so that we can move forward. Some people will argue that it took America over 200 years before they got to where they are today, does that means we have to also spend 200 years.

Looking at the Federal Government being run by the APC, what is your stake on its performance, particularly in the last two years?

My assessment is that the good people of Nigeria should excuse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027 because his performance is abysmal, and I want to say that the PDP, which is the major opposition party in the country is representing a better alternative and knows how to run the country better. We knew how much a bag of rice was when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power, we also knew how much it was during Buhari regime, we know the price now, not to talk of price of fuel and other things. During the president’s independence speech, he said there will be light at the end of the tunnel, what else do you expect him to say? He would not say there wouldn’t be light at the end of the tunnel, you can only expect such things from a better clime, not the one like ours where you just believe that whether you are performing or not performing you must be in office by all means. But the beauty of democracy is that you challenge the performance of the person you put on board every four years in case of federal and state levels and every three years in case of local government level, you are free either to vote somebody in after a tenure if you are satisfied with his or her performances or you vote him or her out, that is the beauty of the game, when they said Jonathan did not perform up to expectations he was voted out, why were they not liberal like Jonathan, he congratulated Buhari even before the results of the elections were announced. But what are they doing after Jonathan? But I know that one day we will get to where we are supposed to be.

DETAILS of how the South-West caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may adopt a preferred candidate for national secretary ahead of the national convention of the party coming between November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital emerged on Monday.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that the battle for the position, which is zoned to the South-East in the outgoing dispensation, was mired on controversy and litigation between two tendencies, which left the PDP almost in limbo for about two years.

The PDP eventually settled for one of the claimants to the post, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in a seeming compromise at the 100th National Executive Committee of party.

Some main stakeholders in the party told the Nigerian Tribune that the leaders from the South-West were holding extensive consultations on how to come up with a consensus candidate since the position is already ceded to the geopolitical zone ahead of the elective convention.

A source said two bigwigs of PDP from the South-West have in London as more party faithful intensified lobbying for their preferred choice from Ogun State, which is micro-zoned with Lagos State.

Incidentally, the current deputy national secretary of PDP, Architect Setonji Koshedo, hails from Lagos.

Other party chieftains informed the Nigerian Tribune that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State would be given the right to put forward a possible preferred candidate because of the status and strategic position of the two-term governor in PDP caucus in the South-West.

But his choice, according to the leaders, would not be automatic as it will be subject to due process since, in the words of one the PDP elders; PDP is not a one-man show.

The stakeholders also ruled out the possibility of either Oyo or Osun getting the privilege to present candidates for the post of national secretary, since both states currently hold the posts of deputy national chairman and national vice chairman/zonal chairman respectively.

In a memo dated September 1, 2025, addressed to the PDP national chairman through the deputy national chairman (South), the zoning committee for the Southern Region zoned the positions opf national auditor, and deputy national organizing secretary along with national secretary to the South-West.

The committee recommended the posts of national financial secretary, deputy national secretary, national women’s leader and deputy national leader to the South-East, while the offices of deputy national chairman (South), national publicity secretary, deputy national treasurer and deputy national legal adviser were proposed for the South-South.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune on the phone on preparations for the PDP convention as regards national offices, a former deputy national chairman of PDP, Chief Bode George, emphasised the issue of privileged that would be given Governor Makinde in making a greater input into who emerges as the consensus candidate of the South-West as national secretary, in consultations with other elders and leaders of thought of the party.

George, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, said: ‘The governor should have an interest in who emerges as the candidate for the position given his position in the South-West PDP caucus. Though it is not automatic, we must able to concede to the governor. We will share whatever is left.

‘If there are certain things we observe that needs a collective action, we will settle them. He knows what he wants in consultations with elders.

‘Whatever he brings, we will approve and if there are issues, we will address them and move forward. That’s the way the PDP works, once it is something that will bring comfort, unity and progress to the South-West.

He said the PDP was ‘not like the other political party because there is no room for arbitrariness; we have had all congresses at the ward, local and state levels.’

‘The position they gave us, we will have to call a meeting and work with the elders. We will network and get the support of everybody. It is a collective responsibility. It is not a private property,’ Chief George said.

A former national vice chairman of PDP, Chief Eddy Olufeso, said that all processes that will culminate into the national convention remain seamless, citing the conduct of congresses from ward to the local and state levels so far.

He said the leaders do not envisage any form of hiccups because of the ongoing collaborative efforts of the critical stakeholders in the PDP to guarantee the emergence of formidable structures.

Similarly, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Senator Olu Alabi, told the Nigerian Tribune that there are concerted efforts by the leaders to produce a consensus candidate for the post of national secretary.

AS the battle of wits rages among the Osun State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Union Of Local government Employees (NULGE) over Osun local governments allocations, the leadership of Omoluabi Progressives in the state, on Monday, warned the Federal Government to stop starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds.

The group, within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, further described the alleged attitude of the APC-led Federal Government of imposing illegal local government chairmen and diverting council funds as a direct assault on democracy in the state and across Nigeria.

The chairman of the group, Azeez Adesiji, who expressed displeasure over the development at a press conference in Osogbo, called for resistance against what he alleged as the conspiracy of the Federal Government and the APC to divert billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of ‘yes or no’ illegal chairmen in the state.

According to him, ‘Instead of upholding the law, the Federal Government has chosen to perpetrate fascism by starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds and diverting billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of these ‘Yes or No’ illegal chairmen.

‘This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and political brigandage,’ Adesiji said. He described the development as ‘a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and the people of Osun State.

‘The Federal Government is setting a dangerous precedent by disregarding valid court judgments to entrench rejected cronies in power.

‘We condemn in the strongest terms this overbearing conduct of the federal government, which has shown that it will stop at nothing to manipulate institutions, desecrate the courts, and subvert the will of the people.

‘This same pattern of lawlessness is already creeping into Osun politics ahead of the forthcoming elections, and Nigerians must take note of what this portends for 2027.

‘This is a brazen assault on democracy, rule of law, and the sanctity of the constitution by the APC-led administration. Those parading themselves as council chairmen and councillors have no lawful mandates, no constitutional backing, and no electoral legitimacy.

‘APC’s attempt to build legality on the election it conducted based on a technical victory over a pre-election matter, despite a judgment that nullified the election outrightly, is laughable and the height of political rascality,’ he stressed.

‘We warn that funds deposited in the accounts of the disputed council officials must not be touched,’ describing any such withdrawal as criminal. ‘Local government funds must be released to legitimate and constitutional authorities.

‘By any accounting procedure, government allocation cannot be paid directly or indirectly into any government functionary’s account. Doing so would amount to an egregious violation of financial regulations, which the ICPC should address with urgency’.

‘We charge professional bodies and democratic institutions, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and civil society groups, to stand up against the misuse of Osun people’s resources as the APC’s political war chest.

‘We also call on democratic institutions, civil society organisations, labour unions, opposition parties, and the international community to resist the creeping authoritarianism allegedly being imposed through local government structures.

‘The struggle for local government autonomy must not be turned into an APC scheme for political capture and financial looting,’ insisting that those behind the diversion of council funds must be held accountable.’

Omoluabi has no locus to interprete law -APC

But when contacted by the Nigerian Tribune on the allegation, Osun APC accused the Omoluabi group of seeking attention through political propaganda and suggested that the group should preoccupy itself with resolving its internal crisis within the ADC rather than meddling in Osun’s local government affairs.

The party’s spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, in a statement in Osogbo, stated: ‘There couldn’t have been any need for their tirade beyond mere attention-seeking as that is the only way they could be heard.

‘No fabricated or concocted side talks can take the place of the Appeal Court judgment which was not challenged in the Supreme Court.’

He described the Omoluabi Progressives’ criticism as belated and unnecessary, claiming that it is acting behind time.

‘The matter of the delayed federal allocations to the local governments had long been settled by the Court of Appeal judgment of February 10, 2025 and what authority does the Omoluabi Progressives have to interpret court judgments?

‘The Appeal Court judgment expressly reinstated the APC local government chairmen and councillors, making them the constitutionally elected council officers in the face of the law.

‘Who conferred the status of interpreter of the law or court judgment on the busy-body members and leaders of the questionable Omoluabi Progressives?’ Kolawole queried.

HOW will you assess the housing sector in the last 65 years of Nigeria’s independence

Nigeria prides itself in gaining political independence in 1960 but to me, the bondage of Nigerians today is more grievous than we were under the colonial rule. Looking at it from all angles, there is no indication of freedom. Our social, economic and political lives are tied to the desires of the colonial masters. The housing sector has not faired so well because it has suffered so much epileptic policy direction and weak political will. Today, it is rumoured or estimated that the housing deficit is in the region of over 20 million units. Even at a very unrealistic and conservative estimate of an occupancy ratio of 2 persons per habitable room; then we have not less than 40 million persons who are critically in need of decent houses to live. This is to say the least, embarrassing and undesirable. Despite the huge intervention of the private sector in housing by increasing the quantitative availability, affordability of the houses is a problem. Though Nigeria’s housing sector has shown resilience and some positive momentum, especially in the last few years, it is still not well enough. Government initiatives, growing recognition of housing as a priority, innovative models, and increasing private sector engagement are all good signs but they end up as issues in political manifestos. Giving housing a head-on, pragmatic response is still far-fetched. On the whole, the gap between policy/initiative and lived reality is still large. The majority of people who need decent, affordable housing are still priced out, unable to access mortgages, burdened by high rents, or forced into informal housing or overcrowding. If, in the first quarter of the 21st century, some Nigerians are still living in terrible slums, shanties and under bridges in our National capital, State capitals and major settlements, we can conclude that a lot still needs to be done in the housing sector.

Can you say that Nigerians have been properly housed?

As indicated earlier, Nigerians are not properly housed. Apart from the deficit, prices of housing and rents are getting out of reach for an average Nigerian; indeed, they rise much faster than wages. Many Nigerians spend 40-60% of their income on rent, far above the recommended 25-30%. The level of informal housing is high as innumerable number of Nigerians live in slums, informal settlements, or overcrowded conditions without any physical plan for their development and access to safe water, sanitation, or reliable electricity and other basic services. This would also account for incessant building collapses which remain a recurring tragedy, reflecting weak enforcement of standards.

What are major achievements in the housing sector and notable challenges?

There are some achievements made by government over the years. First is knowing that Nigerians need to live in decent houses. It is said that knowing a problem makes it half-solved. In the public sector, a lot of investments have been such as low-cost houses during Shagari regime and other similar interventions by successive administrations upto the current Renewed Hope Housing programmes. But these programmes were simply political programmes whereby they make a lot of noise declaring outrageous number of housing units and building only few. Even the few that are built go to their cronies as rewards for political patronage. Other interventions include the establishment of financial and mortgage institutions such as Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, National Housing Fund, Family Homes Fund, Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company and related agencies. The private sector has also made significant impact on housing through acquisition of land for mass housing and constructing them in different parts of the country. Some of the interventions include the rent-to-own programme which has provided an alternative for low to middle income earners. The private sector has also been involved in advocacy through institutions such the Housing Development Advocacy Network and the recently inaugurated Nathaniel Atebije Foundation for Planning Advocacy. Major achievements in the development of local building materials have been made through research by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute which has increased the use of local materials, prefabricated housing, and modular construction to reduce costs and speed up delivery.

The challenges that we still face include the lack of consideration of physical planning for housing interventions. Their locations within the settlement fabric are uncoordinated to make the needed impact. Most times they are cited out of immediate reach of the dwellers of the benefitting town hence, they face challenges of infrastructure, transportation, security and other environmental problems. Therefore, they are left unoccupied until they are vandalized and the houses become useless and wasted investment of public funds. High cost of land, building materials, and finance keeps housing out of reach for the majority while mortgages remain unaffordable due to high interest rates and short tenures. The Land Use Act (1978) is outdated, creating bottlenecks in land acquisition and titling. Numerous housing policies and masterplans have been developed, but weak implementation, corruption, and lack of political will undermine progress.

Can you say the government of the day is living up to expectations in the housing sector?

I would say, not quite. Nigerians expected much more than what they are getting. The current administration launched what they call Renewed Hope Cities and Estates. Good as the idea may be, it was conceived and located without considerations of physical planning. Implementation in some of the States (including even the Federal Capital City – Abuja) did not pass through required planning approvals as prescribed by the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act. Some of the positive efforts include the moves to strengthen the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), expand mortgage access, and create special real estate investment funds (MREIF) showing intent to tackle financing gaps. Another is the strong collaboration with developers, cooperatives, and housing advocacy groups.

However, a lot of negative issues surround the expectations of the Nigerians. Less than two years into the first term of the current administration, efforts have been much on campaigning for a second term. Attention has tilted from housing to the hunger for retaining power. Meanwhile, affordability remains elusive as cement, steel, and land costs continue to soar; mortgage interest rates remain out of reach for the average worker; informal settlements keep expanding in cities, showing that housing supply for the poor is not matching demand; programmes are launched with fanfare, but delivery is slow, fragmented, and sometimes politicised; and, the massive infrastructure deficit as new estates are often poorly serviced with roads, water, and power, making them less attractive or unsustainable.

What are the solutions to the challenges in the sector?

The government needs to take some quick steps to resolve the challenges. First, there is the need to engage consultants to prepare master plans and other levels of physical plans for cities and major settlements in Nigeria. This will appropriately identify the areas of the settlements where housing would be located profitably (in terms of social satisfaction). There is the urgent need to review the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, which is over 33 years old, some parts of which are greatly inconsistent with contemporary demands of the Nigerian society. Other important steps to take would include reviewing the Land Use Act o 1978, digitize land records to make titles more secure; strengthen institutions by building the capacity of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and state housing agencies to deliver affordable housing at scale; encourage cooperative housing schemes and provide targeted subsidies on land, infrastructure, or interest rates for affordable housing developers. There is the need to invest in local cement, tiles, timber, and alternative technologies (compressed earth blocks, bamboo, prefab); provide incentives for developers by giving tax breaks or reduced duties for developers who commit at least 40-50% of projects to affordable housing. Encourage land-for-housing exchanges whereby government can provide serviced land to developers in return for affordable units. The Federal Government, as a form of technical assistance to the States should embark on upgrading informal settlements by providing basic infrastructure (water, sanitation, roads).

The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has stressed the urgent need to reposition Human Resource (HR) in government, since it constitutes the ‘nervous system of any organisation’; as it also unveiled the ‘HR Initiative’, a reform aimed at professionalising HR Management within the Federal Civil Service.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, made the call at a high- profile sensitisation workshop, held at OHCSF, in Abuja.

Walson-Jack, in her keynote address at the event, argued that repositioning HR management within the public service, especially among federal civil servants, had become one of the key imperatives to enhancing professionalism.

She noted that the reform, anchored on global best practices, would ensure that career progression into directorate- level roles, requires professional certification in Human Resource Management.

The Head of the Federal Service, therefore, enlisted CIPM’s support in successfully prosecuting the reform agenda; since the institution remains the only one with statutory authority to certify HR professionals in Nigeria, in line with its enabling Act.

‘ We believe this, therefore, positions CIPM as the indispensable partner in delivering the professionalisation agenda of the Office,’ she stated.

Expressing the institute’s delight at the OHCSF’s reform, its President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mallam Ahmed LadanGobir, described the reform as ‘a defining moment for Nigeria’s public sector.’

He assured that with CIPM’s decades-long commitment to advancing HR standards, the Institute is fully prepared to guide the civil service through the transformation.

‘CIPM is proud to play a pivotal role in shaping a new era of professionalism, competence, and accountability in the Federal Civil Service.

‘This reform reinforces our mandate to develop ethical and world-class HR practitioners who drive sustainable people and organisational performance,’ Gobir said.

The CIPM boss expressed the optimism that the HR Initiative would introduce a National HR Competency Framework, Accreditation by CIPM and international partners, curriculum review for Management Development Institutes, and a transition plan, requiring officers in HR roles to commence certification within 12 months.

He, therefore, expressed the strong belief that, by January 2026, preference in HR postings would only go to certified or actively certifying professionals.

Gobir also expressed the hope that the reform, which is in line with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25), would institutionalise HR as a specialised, professional function rather than a generalist administrative role.

SIGNPOSTING the critical and perilous level of decadence in the society, a recent report indicated that a misguided young man, Mutawakilu Ibrahim, stabbed his grandparents to death during a heated argument over food at their residence in Kofar Dawanau Quarters, Dala Local Government Area of Kano State. The suspect was said to have used a knife to inflict multiple injuries on his grandfather and grandmother who were 75 and 65 years old, respectively. And they were both pronounced dead by the medical authorities at the hospital they were taken to after the attack. The 30-year-old man, who has been arrested by the police, is believed to have been under the influence of intoxicants at the time of the attack.

Kano State is Nigeria’s most populous state, and it has been reported to be plagued by many social vices in recent times, including increased cases of violent crimes within family settings. According to security experts and community leaders, it is the combined effects of drug abuse, mental health challenges, and rising economic hardship that have been putting pressures on family relationships. And some of these factors have causal relationship: the use of illicit drugs may have resulted in the burgeoning cases of mental issues while mental challenges, on the other hand, have a serious bearing on the increasing violent conduct, especially amongst the youths. All of these exemplify the rot in the society arising from the collapse of the moral value system.

The killing of the Kano old man and woman allegedly by their grandson is a terrible development that is very difficult to comprehend. How and why would one kill one’s grandparents under any guise? And indeed, why should one kill anyone, for that matter, in order to settle ‘scores,’ if any? It either shows defective upbringing or is down to an unteachable or incorrigible disposition on the part of the killer. Engaging in a heated argument with one’s grandparents is bad enough; going ahead to murder them is extremely strange. It is doubtful that this young man is from a cohesive, disciplined family background as his action smacks of someone raised in a dysfunctional family setting. And in all of this, there has been no mention of his parents. Why should his feeding be the responsibility of his grandparents if his parents are available?

And indeed, why should the feeding of a 30-year-old be the responsibility of anyone else other than himself? If he could raise money to procure illicit drugs, why not raise money to buy food also? It is really sad that many youths of today are increasingly unable or unwilling to appreciate what constitutes reasonable, decent and decorous conduct. The sense of entitlement they exhibit at every turn is very alarming. Or why would a 30-year-old have a heated argument with his grandparents over food and go ahead to murder both of them by dealing multiple lethal knife blows on them? This callous and bizarre act can only be perpetrated by a demented person whose stability of mind is suspect.

In the recent past, people felt a sense of gloom at the mere mention of death or serious injury to humans: hardly did anyone want to be associated with such heart-rending circumstances because of the attendant social repercussions, including the ostracisation of perpetrators. Today, however, because of the high frequency of cases of killings and the preponderance of the agents of death like killer herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram insurgents and their heinous activities in the North and unknown gunmen in the South, gory cases of killings and maiming have become just mere statistics to many. This is a dangerous tendency that seems to be making violence the new normal in the society and, in a sense, encouraging or at least making light of the breach of the sanctity of human life.

The optics around violent conduct in the country is bad. The daily news of terror killings, homicides and parricide as in the instant case is very troubling even as it reflects horribly on the image of the country. All critical stakeholders, especially leadership at all levels, with the government leading the pack, must ensure that the society is reset on the path of moral rectitude, decency and decorum. The government should be exemplary by providing good governance that is capable of reining in citizens’ economic hardship, so that the tendency for one to slide into criminality or engage in asocial behaviour like drug abuse to just get by is reduced. Families and religious institutions should endeavour to influence young men and women to shun societal vices like illicit drug use, excessive consumption of alcohol, violent conduct and so on.

The traditional leadership, too, should avoid deliberate or inadvertent incentivisation of criminal and/or morally reprehensible acts through inapposite recognition of wealthy perpetrators in palaces. Savagery, uncivilised conduct and other criminal acts must be discouraged in all ramifications. Meanwhile, Ibrahim’s alleged dastardly act should be painstakingly investigated, diligently prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law if he is found guilty.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin on Monday inducted 32 new veterinary doctors at its seventh induction/oath-taking ceremony.

Speaking as the keynote speaker at the event, a former vice-president Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Dr. Bala Mohammed, told both the graduands and audience at the event that solutions to contemporary health challenges demand interdisciplinary cooperation.

‘Solutions to today’s greatest health challenges cannot be designed in isolation-they demand cooperation across veterinary medicine, human medicine, environmental sciences, and public policy’, he said.

Mohammed, a veterinary surgeon, also said that, ‘the health of humans, animals, and the environment can no longer be treated as separate concerns.

‘They are intricately linked, forming the foundation of the one health approach, a global strategy that requires collaboration across disciplines to achieve optimal health outcomes for all,’ he said.

He also said that: ‘Despite successes, veterinary services remain underfunded, under-recognised, and under-integrated into national health frameworks.

‘Many countries, including ours, face surveillance blind spots, weak laboratory capacity, and governance silos.’

‘These gaps allow diseases to simmer unnoticed until they explode into public crises, with devastating health and economic consequences.

‘To truly protect one world, we must invest in veterinary infrastructure and laboratories, foster collaboration among doctors, veterinarians, ecologists, and policymakers to strengthen education, funding, and data systems which empower community-centered prevention strategies. ‘Veterinarians must be recognized not only as responders but as guardians of planetary health’.

Earlier, Dean of the Faculty Professor Saliu Ameen, said that the induction marked the formal licensing of these young doctors as veterinary professionals.

Professor Ameen added that, ‘this ceremony is not merely a ritual; it is a defining moment. It signifies the transition of our graduands from students of veterinary medicine to full members of a noble and globally relevant profession’.

The Nigeria Police Force is in the news again, for the enforcement of the ban against tinted or shaded glasses in motor cars. On April 25, 2025, the police announced its intention to compel the procurement of a written permit on all cars with tinted glasses. Although no cogent reason has been proffered for the implementation of this policy inherited as part of the military invasion of our political space, it would seem from all indications that the goal is that of revenue generation. The challenge with this is that Nigerians have been taxed and overtaxed and if the rationale behind the current tax reform laws is to harmonise all taxes, then there has to be a rethink of this policy by the police.

THE LAW AGAINST TINTED OR SHADED MOTOR GLASSES

On 8th February 1991, the federal military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (Retd) enacted the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree 1991, in the following terms:

‘The Federal Military Government hereby decrees as follows:

1. (1) Except with the permission of the appropriate authority designated for the purposes of this Decree and for such good cause as may be determined from time to time by the appropriate authority, no person shall cause any glass fitted on a motor vehicle to be-

(a) tinted; or (b) shaded; or (c) coloured lightly or thickly (d) darkened; or (e) treated in any other way, so that the persons or objects in the motor vehicle are rendered obscure or invisible.

(2) In this section, ‘good cause’ means health or security reasons.

2. (l) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law, rule of law, enactment or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979, as amended, any person who without the permission of the appropriate authority-

(a) causes any glass fitted on a motor vehicle to be treated in any manner specified in section 1(1) of this Decree

(b) does or omits to do any act for the purpose of enabling or aiding another person to tint, shade, colour, darken, or treat in any other way any glass fitted on a motor vehicle in any manner specified in section 1(1) of this Decree

(c) aids another person in tinting, shading, colouring, darkening or treating in any other way any glass fitted on a motor vehicle in any manner specified in section 1(1) of this Decree ; or

(d) counsels or procures any other person to tint, shade, colour, darken or treat in any other way, any glass fitted on a motor vehicle, commits an offence under this Decree and shall be punished in the manner set out in this Decree.

(2) Any person who commits an offence under paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of this section may himself be charged with tinting, shading, colouring, darkening or treating in any other way the glass fitted on the motor vehicle or with counselling or procuring the tinting, shading, colouring, darkening or treating in any other way the glass fitted on the motor vehicle.

(3) In this Decree –

(a) reference to the ‘appropriate authority’ means reference to the Inspector-General of Police or any person or authority authorised by him to give such permission as is contemplated in subsection (1) of section 1 of this Decree

(b) reference to ‘permission’ includes registration.

3. It shall be the duty of the buyer, donee or importer of a motor vehicle with tinted, shaded, coloured, darkened or treated glass to change all the glass within a period of 14 days from the date of arrival in Nigeria or date of purchase (whichever is applicable in each circumstance).

4. (1) Any person who commits an offence under this Decree shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

(2) Where an offence under this Decree has been committed by a body corporate, every person who at the time of the commission of the offence was a proprietor, director, general manager, secretary or other similar officer servant or agent of the body corporate (or a person purporting to act in any such capacity) as well as the body Corporate shall be guilty of the offence and may be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

5. The Federal High Court shall have jurisdiction to try offenders under this Decree.’

WHY THE POLICY IS WRONG

Understandably so, Nigerians have kicked against the enforcement of this law on so many grounds. First, it is not reasonably justifiable. The cars in issue were not manufactured in Nigeria and the owners have no control over the specification or mode of the car. To enforce such a blanket ban, the government must have a ready alternative which it can offer to its citizens. Second, these cars are driven freely in other parts of the world without the need for a permit. Third, if the ban on tinted or shaded motor glasses is that of security, all that the police need to do is to ask the motorist to wind down his glasses for random security check.

THE COURT CASES

The Nigerian Bar Association has challenged the enforcement of this policy in court in Abuja and the police was duly served with the originating processes in the suit but it claimed that since there is no positive order from the Court, the enforcement will proceed notwithstanding the court case. Subsequently on October 2, 2025, the Federal High Court in Warri issued an order, directing the police to show cause why an order of injunction should not be made to stop the enforcement of the policy. There has been some controversy on the purport and effect of the order of court for the police to show cause. Let me dwell on this a little more.

Under and by virtue of Order 26 Rule 8 of Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019:

‘2. Where a motion is made ex-parte, the Court may make or refuse to make the order sought, or may direct the motion to be made on notice to the parties to be affected thereby or may grant an order to show cause why the order sought should not be made.

C- ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

13. An order to show cause shall specify a day when cause is to be shown, be called the return day to the order, which shall ordinarily be not less than three days after service.

14. A person served with an order to show cause may, before the return day, produce evidence to contradict the evidence used in obtaining the order, or setting forth other facts on which he relies to satisfy the Court to discharge or vary such order.

15. On the return day, if the person served does not appear and it appears to the Court that the service on all proper parties has not been duly effected, the Court may enlarge the time and direct further service or make such further order as seems just.

(b) if any other relief is sought, the Judge may at any time grant in the proceedings such interim relief as could be granted in an action begun by writ;

(c) the Judge may impose such terms as to costs and as to giving security as he deems fit.’

WHY THE POLICY MUST BE HALTED FORTHWITH

In law, an order for a party to show cause why an injunction should not be made is a preliminary court order that puts the respondent on notice to demonstrate why they should not be restrained by an injunction. The effect is that it requires the respondent to argue against the grant of the injunction, and if they fail, the court may issue the injunction based on the applicant’s argument. The party to whom the order is directed has the duty to show cause, or present reasons, why the injunction should not be granted, and this may involve demonstrating that they have a sufficient legal remedy or that the balance of convenience does not favour the applicant. The legal effect of the order is that the respondent is obligated to appear before the court and argue their case against the injunction being granted. The burden of proof rests heavily on the applicant for the injunction to show that a serious issue to be tried exists and that damages will be inadequate compensation. However, if the respondent fails to show cause, this failure will strengthen the applicant’s case for the injunction. The court’s order serves as a formal notice to the respondent about the potential injunction and allows them to be heard on the matter. The order aims to maintain the current state of affairs (status quo) while the court considers the application for injunction. If the respondent fails to show cause or provides insufficient reasons against the injunction, the court can proceed to grant the injunction. And even when no positive order of injunction has been made, the respondent is required to keep matters in status quo because the court will not aid a party who is guilty of taking steps to jeopardize the subject matter of the application for injunction. In the case of John Aikpkokpo-Martins however, the court specifically directed the police to maintain the status quo, effectively halting the implementation or further implementation of the policy, pending the hearing and determination of the application for injunction. As the police are established to maintain law and order and to enforce decisions of the court, the policy on tinted motor glass permits should be suspended for now.