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Tobiloba Amusan riled the lords of the Nigerian athletics community recently. By her video on Nigeria’s kits for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, she also triggered the country’s sports fraternity as well as those Nigerians who are conversant with sports administration in the country.

Tobi Amusan – our current best foot forward in athletics – did a bold asko o (a way some children and women in Ibadan shrug their shoulders in defiance) to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) with that video. Through that video – the first of its kind from usually reserved Tobi Amusan – was her way of saying ‘I don’t care anymore’ to whatever her action might lead to.

Miss Amusan also didn’t care how the AFN officials might decide to fume over her video. And I think this is because, through her talent and years of hard work, she has rightfully earned her place at the table of Nigeria’s untouchables. Beyond working her way to that level of becoming an untouchable, she is also, in a way, the favourite among millions of Nigerians – a favourite untouchable.

But she is one untouchable in the positive sense of the concept – in the sense of thinking aloud or saying boldly that the AFN officials and their ilk must not ruin our only medal hope in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with their shenanigans.

We had only just recently lost Favour Ofili from our quiver of potent sports arrows. The young top talent dumped Nigeria for Turkey just a few weeks before the Worlds. She had a very bumpy ride with our athletics lords of the manor and decided she had had enough.

Amusan, in that video of hers with the accompanying commentary, said all that needed to be said: Nigerian sports administrators have refused to learn. And she is quite right. She made the video look like a jolly ride – a casual cruise through the turbulent ocean of painful realities our sports men and women face at every opportunity to sail. Favour Ofili could not weather the storm, just like many other Nigerian athletes who also switched allegiance from Nigeria with some painful memories.

But Miss Tobi Amusan chose to speak, stand up, and fight because she has risen to a height where the ruinous hands of our system manned by our athletics lords can no longer touch her. That is one of the reasons she is untouchable, apart from the huge gap her personality would leave in our athletics if anything happened to her.

With her position in our sports, especially with the fretting Nigerian population about what just happened with Miss Ofili, Amusan did not just earn her bully pulpit; she also earned a right and the might to point out the correctable wrongs.

The Yoruba liken such untouchables to the household king’s goat (the Baale’s goat). They call them Ashemalu – eranbaale.

While Tobi Amusan thoroughly riled top officials of the AFN, they could only watch just as helplessly as the hungry fowl would mope at the corn in a corked bottle. She indeed rode the moment well and passed her powerful message, regardless of the hurried, haphazard response and face-saving measures the AFN eventually came up with. Interestingly, such was also the kind of response they gave to the searing departure of Favour Ofili from the Nigerian athletics firmament. It was quite typical and seemed like something usually drawn from an annoying template.

Tobi told the world, from far away Tokyo in Japan, some of those things our leaders would not want us to tell even from the corners of our abodes in Nigeria. Embedded in her message are those embarrassing situations we face daily, and which are often muted with questions like ‘Are you the only one?’ We are hushed so as to keep our collective mortification away from outsiders or non-family members. The Yoruba refer to such a situation as egbòilé. But Tobi Amusan refused to make this occasion one of egbòilé.

She spoke up and compared what Nigeria’s athletes received as competition gears in Tokyo 2025 to what other countries’ athletes were given, although her message carried much more meaning than just that. Her verdict also is devastating! She made a video of our athletes’ kits to the Worlds while laughing at the laughable kits and sneered openly at the despicable offering.

Perhaps, Miss Tobiloba Amusan must have been bottling that burden for a reasonable period of time. She only had to let the bubble burst this time. Those Nigerian athletes who could not bear it, and who are not in a position to pull the ears of our lords in sports administration like Miss Amusan could, just decided to quit to find solace elsewhere. Unfortunately, that list of disgruntled Nigerian athletes is rapidly growing by the day. Nothing is being said about it right now. Nothing is being done about it right now. Nigeria and Nigerians would only rise when another Tobiloba Amusan-like episode happens. No lessons from the long past. No lessons from the immediate past exemplified by the Tokyo 2025 held from 13 September 2025 to 21 September 2025.

The AFN has moved on from the letdown in Tokyo. They have clinked glasses to celebrate Tobi Amusan’s lone silver medal and taken solace in the glimmers from the budding talents. They also celebrated the records set by others, especially Ezekiel Nathaniel’s new national record in the 400 metres hurdles. They are not inspired by the surge of Botswana, the meticulousness of Ethiopia, and the staying power of Kenya. We have silenced our planning drums and folded our thinking mats. We are now back to debating owambe and owanbe, blind-sighting serious issues until they sweep us off our feet.

We celebrated the last WAFCON and the girls’ exploits on July 27, 2025. We hailed and cheered the squad and described the girls’ win as historic and unprecedented. We are right about all of that. We were also happy because of the happy ending which erased all the blot that had stained the processes that led to that momentous victory. Like the safe delivery of a much-desired healthy child, the end justified all the means of preceding troubles.

But did anyone remember that the kits meant for that WAFCON got to the girls only at the quarter-finals of the competition? Their kits were delayed at the Moroccan customs after they arrived in the country late. We have forgotten that our girls made a show of the makeshift kits they had to use at that major tournament.

Just like in the case of Tobi Amusan and the Tokyo 2025 kits, which the AFN said were on their way, the NFF too ran from pillar to post to battle the Super Falcons’ revelation and only got the kits at the quarter-finals of the tournament. What if the Super Falcons had been eliminated earlier?

These common scenarios are what Miss Amusan and many Nigerians are trying to constantly point out about our sports and sundry national life. Not many expect officials to answer the salient questions. But they must be asked anyway. Why do the kits arrive late? How come the necessary plans are not made as and when due? Why do we always end up in such situations?

Why don’t we punish such embarrassing national malaise? One of the best crops of Nigeria’s U-17 boys failed to qualify for the World Cup not because they were not good, but because an NFF official failed to bring the boys’ passports to Ibadan where the match was played. Who was that official, and was there a penalty?

The flagship of our national sports teams, the Super Eagles, once played an official international match in hurriedly cut-to-size shorts from their tracksuits. Who brought us that national shame? What happened afterwards?

For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our Super Eagles are currently dangling precariously at the precipice. If we fail to qualify, that would be the second consecutive time. Africa is guaranteed to be represented by nine countries in that tournament, up from the current five representatives. Yet, Nigeria, Africa’s sports powerhouse, is heading towards the exit door of the qualifiers!

Why must we perpetually live as a country of reactions only, and willfully choose to stand against proactive actions? Our life as a country is replete with examples of reactions to everything we ought to have proactively taken care of. I think we should use our tongue to count our teeth!

A housewife, Lawal Modupe, has approached an Upper Area Court sitting at Kubwa, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), seeking the dissolution of her 17-year-old marriage to her husband, Ismaila on the grounds of lack of love and affection.

Modupe told the court that she got married Ismaila according to Islamic laws.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the mother of three stated that her husband sent her out of their matrimonial home on June 17, 2023.

‘I do not love him anymore and I want the court to dissolve our marriage,’ she said.

The respondent, however, said that he still loves his wife and would not grant her request for divorce.

He pleaded with the court to call for a mediation involving his family and that of the wife.

The judge, Mohammed Wakli, however, said that he still loves his wife and would not grant her request for divorce.

He pleaded with the court to call or a mediation involving his family and that of his wife.

The judge, Mohammed Wakili, however, advised the respondent to make efforts to win his wife’s love back and the couple two weeks to settle their differences and report back to the court.

Last Thursday, at Akinyele Resettlement Centre in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, 334 beggars, street urchins and destitute persons, both young and old, who had been picked from different parts of Ibadan stepped out, one after the other, from two Omi Titun buses.

They filed into the wide space within the serene camp built by the state government about four years ago to accommodate such persons.

As they sat in the available spaces, some of them, familiar with one another, engaged in conversations. Others wore solemn looks, deep in thought. Among them were children moving around in excitement, oblivious of what lay ahead.

The evacuation from the streets back to the camp was a cleanup exercise carried out by the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA) in line with its mandate to ensure a cleaner environment.

Alongside OYRLEA was an enforcement team comprising the Ministry of Environment, the Oyo State Environmental Task Force, the Oyo State Road Traffic Maintenance Authority (OYRTMA), the Oyo State Waste Management Authority (OYWMA), the Oyo State police command, the Amotekun Corps and the Joint Security Task Force, codenamed Operation Burst.

Before the commencement of enforcement two days earlier, Saturday Tribune learnt that OYRLEA and the team had visited the camp on Monday to inspect and confirm that it was in good condition and habitable.

Arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday were those who engaged in indiscriminate roadside trading and occupation of setbacks, illegal vehicle parking, sale of vehicles on setbacks, among others.

Last Thursday, the team moved through Idi Ape, Iwo Road, Airport-Gbagi Road, Gate, NTA Road, Mokola, Sango and Ojoo to evacuate the destitute, after which they were taken to the resettlement centre.

Speaking on the cleanup exercise, the chairperson of OYRLEA, Justice Aderonke Adekemi Aderemi (rtd), said that the Authority was simply carrying out its mandate as stipulated by law, through an operation tagged ‘Clean Up Ibadan’.

She said: ‘After checking the Resettlement Centre on Monday to be sure it is befitting, we started the cleanup exercise on Tuesday from Airport Road to Isebo to Gbagi to the old and new Ife Roads.

The destitute disembarking from the bus which conveyed them to the Resettlement Centre

‘We also went to where traders were selling their wares on the road, medians and setbacks. They were arrested and, along with their wares, were taken before the Tribunal.

‘We also arrested those who illegally parked their vehicles on the roads. The same happened to tricycle and motorcycle riders. In addition, we arrested those selling vehicles on road setbacks and impounded the vehicles.

‘On the third day, which is today, Thursday, we went round Ibadan city to clear the destitute. We picked 334 of them and conveyed them to the destitute’s camp at Akinyele.’

At the centre, officials of the Ministry of Environment were seen distributing food packs containing jollof rice and fish, as well as sachets of water, to the evacuees as lunch.

Saturday Tribune went round the evacuees to find out the reasons they resorted to begging or homelessness, which made them sleep under bridges, in open stalls and in corners. Among the shocking stories was that of a female teenager, Aisha, who gave her age as 18. She had been sleeping in the open under the bridge for three months. She also revealed she had a lover among the street urchins and was already six weeks pregnant for him.

With her mouth constantly filled with saliva due to her pregnancy, Aisha, who claimed to hail from Ode-Omu in Osun State, disclosed that she ran away from home some months ago and started living under the Iwo Road bridge in Ibadan, where she met and started dating Ismail Olamilekan.

Aisha told Saturday Tribune that she didn’t know why she left her parents’ home, since they never mistreated her.

She said: ‘I deliberately left home about three months ago, but I don’t understand it myself. I must have been chased from home with juju. I was not reprimanded by my parents.’

The teenager also explained how she became a street boy’s lover: ‘I met Ismail Olamilekan, a.k.a. Omoga, at a spot where he usually did some labour, offloading hideskin from vehicles at a filling station at Iwo Road. I’ve told him that I’m pregnant. I expected my monthly flow on September 15, but it has not come till now.’

When asked how she managed her hygiene among the many males sleeping on the streets, Aisha said she usually bathed early in the morning before daylight. She admitted, however, that she last bathed a day before she was evacuated.

On how she survived, Aisha disclosed that she used to hawk sachet water. She admitted that her lover smoked marijuana but claimed she had told him she didn’t like it. ‘He is gradually stopping,’ she added.

Aisha, the second child of her parents, also admitted she had never contacted them since she left home, as she had no access to their phone numbers.

Her lover, Ismail a.k.a. Omoga, aged 25, said he earned a living by offloading hideskin (ponmo) from vehicles. He claimed he slept on the streets because the job was usually done late at night into the early hours of the morning. He revealed he rented accommodation but hardly used it due to the nature of his work.

‘Our work was strenuous today (last Thursday) and was disrupted by the rain that fell throughout the night. I and others decided to sleep under the bridge until we would go home at daybreak,’ Ismail said.

He, however, could not explain why he was still sleeping under the bridge by 10am. He admitted that Aisha stayed with him there and got pregnant.

Ismail confessed to smoking marijuana, saying it was to energise him for his strenuous job.

Also, a Hausa woman, Aisha Abdullahi, said she went begging simply to get money to eat.

‘If the government doesn’t want Hausa people to beg for alms in Oyo State, then we should be given money to start a business. Without that, we will continue to beg. We are hungry; the government should not allow us to die of hunger,’ she said.

Another destitute, Fadesayo Kayode, from Ilesa, Osun State, said he used to work with a wheelbarrow to carry loads. He disclosed that he had never lived with his father since childhood, as he only knew his mother.

‘My mother is dead, and I’m her only child,’ Kayode, who stammers, explained. His friends at the Centre described him as a ‘tough boy’ who once lived with his grandmother but later opted for the streets. Kayode confirmed this, adding that he was also a hemp smoker.

A 60-year-old woman, Maria Adedeji Matthew, from Ago-Are, explained why she became a beggar: ‘I beg for alms to survive. I used to pray for passengers at motor parks, and they would give me money. It has never been by force.’

Giving a glimpse into her past, she said: ‘I once lived in Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, and also in Togo. I later moved to the Majidun area of Lagos State, but the place was raided by the government, and I ended up in Ibadan.’

When asked about her children, Madam Matthew replied: ‘I have just one child. His name is Opeyemi Matthew. He should be about 35 years old and is in Ibadan. He knows I’m in Ibadan but is not aware of where I stay.’

When asked about her health, the woman responded: ‘I am okay, nothing is wrong with me except my right leg (showing this writer), which was disfigured after a vehicle hit me here in Ibadan. I can still walk with it, but it’s already deformed.

‘The only other issue is that I may pee on myself if I don’t quickly get a place to urinate, but that is not frequent. Even here, I quickly stood up to ease myself because I saw a place to do so.’

Speaking about where she used to sleep before her evacuation, Mrs Matthew said: ‘I used to sleep beside a shop, from where I was picked. I don’t know the name of the place very well. I had been staying there for about three years.’

On how she survived, she explained: ‘I ate with the money I got from good Samaritans. I even bought the cloth I’m wearing with such money.’

When asked about her family members back in Ago-Are, she said: ‘There is no one to take care of me again. My parents are dead. My father’s name was Kokumo Sekoni. I was named Maimuna at birth, but about 51 years ago, I became a Christian and was baptised Maria. I got married at about 25 and had only one child. His name is Opeyemi Matthew. His father is a medical doctor in Ilorin, Kwara State, who also sold medical equipment. He is from Kogi State.’

Another destitute, Ayomide Gabriel, from Isoko in Delta State, narrated how he became homeless: ‘I used to come to Ibadan from Lagos to beg for alms. I came again on Saturday, September 27. I usually sat beside Northerners to solicit help. After collecting some money, I would leave Ibadan for my residence at Isawo in Ikorodu.’

Giving his reason for begging despite being able-bodied, Mr Gabriel, 63, said: ‘It was because I had nothing else to do. Before, I was selling goods, but everything collapsed.’

Niyi Abiodun, a 45-year-old right-arm amputee, also shared his story: ‘I’m from Ile-Ife in Osun State. I don’t sleep on the street. I usually come from Ife to Ibadan to beg for alms to feed my four children. I was forced into this situation after a member of the Odu’a People’s Congress (OPC) shot me in the arm, which later turned gangrenous and had to be amputated. He signed an agreement to compensate me but never honoured it.

‘I couldn’t take care of myself and my children, so I decided to beg. I used to come to Ibadan every two days. I made between N10,000 and N15,000 by going from one motor park to another. I would return home the same day, rest the following day, and come back again.’

He said he had been begging since 2016. When asked why he had not saved to start a business, he said he was incapacitated with just one arm.

‘My wife left me when I was in the hospital. She told me she couldn’t cope with my condition and left, but I didn’t allow her to take the children. My mother helped me care for them until she died. My firstborn is 17, the twins are 14, and the youngest is nine.

‘I couldn’t remarry. Who will marry a poor amputee? My worry is how to care for my children. That is why I turned to begging.’

Recalling the incident that led to his disability, Niyi alleged that he was kidnapped by the OPC man, Muri, who shot him during a ritual attempt at Omi Adio in December 2014. He claimed Muri wanted to sell his body parts. Though Muri later confessed and agreed to pay compensation, Niyi said it never happened. He heard later that the man was arrested for another violent crime.

It will be recalled that the state government had first relocated the destitute, street urchins and beggars to the resettlement centre in 2021, with assurances of care for their wellbeing.

At the time, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni, told journalists that kitchens, food, mattresses, mats, toilets and other household items had been provided at the centre to aid their living.

Saturday Tribune, however, learnt that despite repeated evacuations, many of the evacuees often left the facility, with only a few choosing to remain there.

AKIN, a 4-year-old boy, was struggling in school to read numbers and alphabets. The parents assume that he must be dull. His sibling, in the same school, reads very well. Despite home coaching, Akin’s grade was falling behind, and his self-esteem was suffering.

Over the news, the parents heard that poor academic performance is one possible indicator of poor vision in a child. They brought the child in for an eye check, and a pair of glasses was prescribed. That child became the best in mathematics.

Unfortunately, avoidance behaviours, low self-esteem, and discontent can arise from vision problems if they are not treated. For example, the child may talk throughout class because she is asking a classmate what the teacher is writing on the board. She might be reluctant to speak up or read aloud.

A child with visual impairments might act irritably, which could lead to disturbances at school. Since they have never had good eyesight, these children are unable to communicate that they have vision issues.

It is sometimes assumed that a child who has impaired vision is impulsive or distracted since he finds it difficult to focus on any subject for an extended period of time.

The clumsiness, lack of interest in academics, or squinting are not examined to determine whether the cause is a vision problem.

Inability to comprehend visual information can lead to frustration, low self-esteem, and avoidance behaviours. Important processes, including identity formation, emotional regulation, and self-confidence, might be hampered by untreated visual problems.

In a talk titled ‘Vision Begins Early: Building Statewide Systems for Paediatric Eye Care’ at the farewell event honouring Professor AderonkeBaiyeroju’s 70th birthday and retirement, Professor Ademola-Popoola said that a child’s eye may be normal despite having extremely severe visual impairments.

Ademola-Popoola, head of the Ophthalmology department at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, explained that a child is unlikely to complain of a vision problem. Someone needs to find it because vision contributes about 83 per cent to learning in early life.

‘But if the child is not seeing, eating will become problematic. Expressive language and other learning skills, including walking, are delayed. Phonation is by watching an adult whom the child likes to speak to. So when vision has a problem, many things will be delayed,’ she added.

Many things may indicate that a child is having difficulties due to a vision problem. According to her, some indications of this include holding a book too near to one’s face, being distracted, isolating oneself, having poor handwriting, and engaging in abnormal behaviours like persistent frowning.

When they discover how hard school is and that their grades are worse than other classmates, some children become agitated or act out in anger. In fact, visual problems could even lead to an inaccurate ADD or ADHD diagnosis.

Recent research reveals a startling connection between vision impairment and mental health issues, particularly in children. A study reported that children with visual impairments are at a higher risk for mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.

Unfortunately, poor vision cuts across children of all socioeconomic classes. Also, from a child born premature to the older child, all can be affected by poor vision. And there are consequences when it happens.

In addition to what a child can see, vision abnormalities such as strabismus, or eye misalignment, can also impact how the child interacts with the outside world and how they see themselves. In addition to physical blindness, these illnesses often result in mental difficulties that hinder socialisation, academic performance, and self-worth.

Furthermore, almost 90 per cent of blind people do not go to school. Furthermore, we will be sustaining the cycle of poverty based only on one child’s visual impairment because someone needs to be there to mentor and care for them while they are not in school.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that child blindness contributes to one-third of the total impact of blindness in the world, and so they make it important.

Ademola-Popoola added, ‘Eight out of 10 individuals who have been blind since childhood never had an eye examination to prevent needless blindness. Moreover, approximately 80 per cent of the causes of their blindness are completely avoidable.’

She listed the causes of preventable blindness in children, including cataracts, glaucoma, trauma, and retinopathy of prematurity.

‘Children who are born prematurely are eligible for screening. Between four and eight out of every hundred will become blind if nothing is done to treat the condition within the first two months of life. When we examined paediatric cataracts, we found that about 38 per cent of the cataracts we operate on in children result from trauma,’ she said.

Prof. Ademola-Popoola stated that vision screening to catch vision problems and eye diseases should leave no child behind, from premature babies, immunization and well-baby clinics, and regular schools to schools for children with special needs.

She added, ‘Everyone should be aware of this problem and trained to perform simple actions that can help get a child to the hospital quickly. Our studies show that in over 85 per cent of cases, the family already knew there was a problem.

‘Childhood blindness steals both sight and future. Prevention saves them both. It costs less to preserve a child’s sight than to rebuild a lost future.’

No doubt, there are many cases where children have been referred to all kinds of doctors, from neurologists to psychiatrists, when all they needed was vision care. Sometimes, these are subtle signs for glasses or other vision care!

KINDLY let me know what could be the cause of my frequent urination at night. I am a 65-year-old man.

– Rauf (by SMS)

Frequent night urination (Nocturia) can be caused by many factors. It’s a common condition, especially in older adults, and is often a sign of an underlying health issue rather than just a normal part of aging.

Causes can range from sleep disorders and increased urine production (nocturnal polyuria) to bladder problems (like an enlarged prostate or overactive bladder) and fluid retention. The number one reason is a UTI (urinary tract infection).

It is the irritation, itching, and urge to relieve that make one take a trip to the bathroom. For men over 40, BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and prostate cancer are the reasons to get up in the night multiple times to urinate. It is not just a tremendous amount of urine one has to pass. The compression of the urethra caused by the enlarged prostate can lead to incomplete voiding.

Going to the bathroom at odd hours cannot be postponed or tolerated if one has BPH or prostate cancer. Getting relieved is a good thing.

It will also avoid urinary tract infections due to stagnant urine, which could travel up to the ureter and the kidneys.

I want to know if it is true that walking can actually lead to weight loss.

– David (by SMS)

Yes, walking is a great form of exercise and an additional way to lose weight. Apart from being low intensity, you don’t have to buy lots of expensive equipment to get the benefits. You simply take on a pair of shoes, put on some comfortable clothes, and get the fresh air.

Luckily, anything that burns calories can help you lose fat, including walking. Although walking doesn’t burn as many calories as running, cycling, or playing sports, consistently getting 7-8k steps (1-1½ hours of walking) daily can help you burn anywhere from 300-400 calories. Combined with a balanced diet, it can make you see massive weight loss.

AS a very critical part of her 65th birthday celebration, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, restructured the usual pomp that attend the birthday celebration of the political class as we know it. Rather than submitting herself to the numerous treats, felicitations and pageantries that would be sure to have been deployed to mark the auspicious occasion, she demanded that anyone who needed to celebrate her should focus their largesse on the furtherance of the National Library project, and possibly its final completion. And that appeal has generated a beautiful sum of N20b. This is all so grand, and noble but unusual. It is an unusual gesture because a member of the political class, rather than the government itself, is the one championing the resuscitation of the National Library project. Maybe it is the government by association, but then the gesture is not the result of an intentional and deliberate policy commitment that enable the government to connect the library to the larger goal of national development. How do we read this strange but commendable gesture into the overall development status of the Nigerian state?

The current state of the Nigerian National Library speaks tremendously to the possibilities and failures of the national development project in Nigeria. In many nations of the world, from the Library of Congress in the United States to the Bibliotheque de France and also the National Library, Singapore, the national library signals the single repository of books, manuscripts, orature, archival materials that connects cultural heritages, knowledge production programmes, critical ideas and paradigms, historical documentation and national memories. Adolf Hitler perfectly understands this fundamental significance of the knowledge base of any nation. And this is why, in a most pernicious manner during the Second World War, he ordered the massive destruction of books and materials that were considered to be subversive of, or even contrary to, the ideals of the German Third Reich project.And quite fortunately and pragmatic enough, the allied forced, led by the United States thought it significant and strategic to fight back by making the book resurgent from their crematorium.

This speaks to the indomitable spirit of ideas, ideals and knowledge that books embody. Knowledge, ideas and books-indeed the entire educational structures-reinvigorate the ways a state keep reengaging its problems, challenges and the solution and resolution frameworks for understanding and undermining them, and how leaders connect with these ideas and knowledge through what they read.When I wrote my op-ed piece on the reading habit ofHE Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, I opened up the possibilities for a nation that an enlightened leadership embodies.

Unfortunately, Nigeria does not have a national library. Or more precisely, the national library project that was formulated in 1981 has refused to materialize into a symbolic and concrete structural manifestation of Nigeria’s willingness to join the global knowledge society. The idea of the national library was muted in 1981, but it took the next twenty-five years for the idea to get an enabling contract in 2006. And yet forty-three years later, the structure remains a pipedream that refused to take off. And so, while it was all too easy to build the National Ecumenical Centre and the National Mosque within which the dilapidated library structure located, this significant element of Nigeria’s progress has remained uncompleted.

All these dysfunctional issues are surprising given that the Nigerian state is very concerned about both her geopolitical status and credentials as a democratic and developmental state in the world-as the Giant of Africa-and also to achieve a stable and empowering economic growth that measurably improve the life prospect and economic lives of her citizens. And yet, the quality of a nation’s human capital is measurable only to the extent of the place of an enlightened reading culture, symbolized by a functional and efficient library systems.

Thus, a state is instigated not only by the economicresources at its disposal, but by the availability and the rate of access to the information resources and the extensive reading rate per capita are the development indices of a society. The number of published books, journals, libraries, readers, writers, translators and publishers of a country are all indices and fundamental criteria of its development. Extending the culture of studying and book reading, developing libraries, publications and distribution of books and utilizing these unrivaled cultural instruments are therefore the requirements and necessities of each society’s growth.

Thus, a lot is riding on Nigeria’s capacity to build a functional and efficient national library as a repository of local, national, regional and global experiences, histories, ideas, paradigms, ideals, perspectives and creative innovation. So, does it matter who lead the crucial initiative to jumpstart and crystallize the national library project as long as it is done? The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, saw what should be considered a national embarrassment, and responded to it while also ensuring that the gesture is funneled through government institutions, like the Federal Ministry of Education. Having woken up the nation from its slumber on this unarguably defining project with deep essence, it is now an all-stakeholder national challenge to get the noble gesture by the First Lady concluded and put into use.

However, whether we like it or not, the fact that it is an individual and not the government that is pushing for the realization of this project is an indictment of national proportion. This gesture has therefore become an instigator in terms of what the citizenry can do to push the government to implementing the general will. And this is even all the more crucial because it is coming from a bona fide member of the government itself. This then implies that the government is now instigating itself to action on behalf of the Nigeria Project.

A business woman, Halima Damina, has dragged her husband, Jacob, before a customary Court in Jikwoyi, Eederal Capital Territory (FCT) accusing him of throwing her out of their matrimonial home.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), she said this in a divorce petition she filed against him in the court.

‘Some time ago, I visited my ex-boy friend’s mother and people lied to my husband that it was my ex-boy friend that I visited.

‘When my husband came back home, he threw me and my belongings out of the house.

‘I tried to explain things to him but he would not listen.

She told the court that their relatives intervened and tried to reconcile them all to no avail.

‘It is on these grounds that I seek divorce, ‘she said.

The respondent was present in court but denied the allegations.

The judge, Thelma Baba, advised the couple to seek reconciliation and adjourned the case.

Sex is central to the survival of every marriage. Once sex is not available or inadequate in marriage, the relationship becomes endangered. Today, the infidelity of married couples has reached such an alarming stage that no effort should be spared to handle everything responsible for the sex deficit. This is why I am writing about how married couples can handle themselves sexually for maximum satisfaction.

Sexual fulfilment requires a couple to master how to handle each other’s bodies. Without this, sex will be a duty-bound exercise, rather than a lovemaking adventure. There is a way you can handle your spouse that will make room for sexual fulfilment. This varies between husband and wife.

Let’s consider the ways a wife should be sexually handled.

How to sexually handle a wife

Emotionally. Give her peace of mind since her first sex organ is her mind. How this plays out is to ensure that conflict is minimised in your relationship. Also, conflict resolution must be given topmost priority. Don’t expect great sex when your wife is upset with you. She will never be in her best sexual mood when she is not happy with you.

Foreplay. This is the foundation for sexual engagement. It’s due to the difference between a male and a female with respect to sexual response. A man’s response is quick and immediate, while that of a female is slow and non-spontaneous. So, there is a need to put the wife in the mood for sex well ahead of the time for the act. This must be well understood by couples, and building their sex act around it gives mutual fulfilment to the partners.

Sex Channels. There are spots on the body that make a man or woman turn jelly for sex. It may be the inner thighs, buttocks, earlobe, breasts, male and female sex organs, etc. Anyone who enjoys regular sex must master such spots on the body of his or her spouse, especially the wife. That’s why wives are often called pretenders when it comes to the matter of sex. Once you press her turn-on button, she will cringe for you in bed, making you wonder where ‘I’m tired’ had disappeared to. You must communicate how you want to be touched for maximum sexual experience. This gets the job done easily. A wife who will put up a great performance in bed must be touched where it turns her on the most.

Sex styles or positions. Sex has gone beyond the traditional approach of ‘husband on top’ for sex. This is the most common type of position couples use for sex. However, more positions produce maximum pleasure in bed. Couples must thus have conversations around the styles that best suit them for mutual sexual satisfaction. For a wife, there is a sex position that gives her an orgasm. Therefore, the husband must know it and exploit it to their best advantage in the sex act.

Locations for sexual engagement. Traditionally, the sleeping object of mats or beds used to be the only acceptable place for sex. However, experience has taught us that sex can be great fun and excitement if it takes place in other places, like on a chair or couch, table top, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, etc. As long as it’s comfortable and safe, without compromising privacy, sex is okay in any place you mutually agree on. When a wife is placed at the location where she enjoys sex the most, she will give her best in the act.

For the husband

Giving him direction in the act, such as spots to touch, enhances his performance in bed. So, a wife should actively engage him on this.

Being active in bed helps a husband to enjoy sex more, and to also go all out to help his wife enjoy sex. A wife should not be a log of wood in bed with her husband. Rather, she must be an active participant. She shouldn’t put up the attitude of ‘Do whatever you want to do quickly, and leave me alone.’ But, she should follow along with her husband in the act.

Both husband and wife must know their sex turn-offs to give sexual fulfilment to each other. Dirty appearance, dirty inner wear, unkempt hairstyles, bad odour, etc., can be bad for sexual engagement. You should try to look nice, smell nice, and be clean. Stop carrying dirty inners around, and learn to understand that armpit and vagina hairs need to be shaved or trimmed. It’s so annoying that some of us smell badly inside there, which comes as a distraction for sex.

These are some of the ways that married couples can handle themselves sexually to have sexual fulfilment.

When the ageing process sets in, couples must learn the rudiments of sexual enjoyment in that phase of their lives, without allowing frustration to set in.

For a wife, you have to bear with him when the erection is not rock-solid. Instead of getting frustrated, you have to learn the art of kick-starting the ‘engine’ using your fingers. And when it doesn’t work, make do with the fingering and work towards getting better results next time.

For the husband, note that the dryness of the vagina makes sex a difficult and painful experience for your wife. So, bear with her when she dodges at times. Then, encourage her with water-based jelly to make penetration easier for you and less painful for her.

Cooperation is the key to a mutual sexual fulfilment in marriage, and this must not be compromised.

Although former President Goodluck Jonathan hasn’t formally declared his intention to run for president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appears to be already worked into a frenzy by the mere prospect of it, at least judging from the sensation of fright that drips from the statements of his spokespeople and close supporters.

Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s official spokesperson, described the proposal to draft Jonathan into the 2027 race as ‘delusional!’ As if he somehow embodies the Nigerian electorate, Onanuga warned that the Jonathan administration’s record on the economy and governance would constitute an insurmountable obstacle on his path to the presidency. He also raised questions about Jonathan’s eligibility for a third term and cautioned that those promoting his run may abandon him midstream.

The Lagos State branch of the APC, perhaps the most strategic APC branch in Nigeria at the moment given that Lagos is Tinubu’s home base, has also mocked the idea of Jonathan’s comeback, arguing that he would need ‘an overdose of good luck’ to be competitive. It framed the push for his return as rooted more in nostalgia than in competence and questioned internal democratic practices within the opposition.

I told a reporter who interviewed me a few days ago that the apparent panic in the Tinubu power circles over Jonathan’s rumored entry into the presidential race is puzzling to me for at least two reasons.

One, at the moment, Jonathan has no political base. The PDP, on whose platform he is likely to run (should he decide to run), is vastly enervated and riven by what seems like irresolvable dissension. The Southeast, which used to be a solid, reliable support base for him, is now seduced by the charm and promise of its own son, Peter Obi.

Without a strong grassroots structure, a solid party platform, or the support of governors, a Jonathan comeback bid would be a damp squib. If anything, the presidency’s statement inflates his relevance more than his actual political strength warrants.

Second, if I were in Tinubu’s inner circles, I would actually encourage, even slyly sponsor, Jonathan’s participation in the 2027 election since he appeals to the same demographic slice as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. His participation in the 2027 election, along with Atiku and Obi, would ensure that the opposition self-cannibalizes, just as it did in 2023.

If Jonathan isn’t a real threat – if Jonathan would, in fact, be a boon to Tinubu – why does Tinubu seem terrified at the prospect of a Jonathan comeback bid? Here’s what I think.

When Onanuga pointed to Jonathan’s abysmal record on the economy and governance as a reason the electorate would not want him back in the saddle, he unintentionally gave vent to deep-seated but unacknowledged anxieties about Tinubu’s own record. Despite different contexts, Jonathan and Tinubu converge on their style of governance and economic policies.

Tinubu is pursuing the exact same economic policies that Jonathan attempted, which he was compelled to roll back after Tinubu and several people who later constituted the APC joined forces with ordinary Nigerians to fight back.

As most people can recall, Jonathan’s New Year ‘gift’ to Nigerians in 2012 was an attempted full petrol-subsidy removal. After mass protests, he was forced to implement a partial price rollback, but he paired the watered-down version of the subsidy-removal policy with SURE-P to cushion its effect on ‘vulnerable’ households and to fund social and infrastructure projects.

On Inauguration Day, May 29, 2023, Tinubu also announced the end of petrol subsidy. But thanks to the success Muhammadu Buhari had achieved in taming any consequential, sustained opposition to unpopular government policies (and, of course, the integration of several careerist protesters into the government), Tinubu’s announcement didn’t attract any mass protests. Nigerians have learned to accept their piecemeal incineration with equanimity.

But like Jonathan’s SURE-P claimed it did, Tinubu restarted cash transfers to millions of ‘vulnerable’ households as ‘palliatives,’ although most Nigerians I have read and spoken with haven’t had the luck to benefit from these palliatives.

The very economic policies Onanuga invokes as a major reason why Nigerians will resist Jonathan’s return to the presidency are the policies the Tinubu regime not only defends but celebrates as an unprecedented, all-time-high achievement which, though biting and bitter, they insist will birth an El Dorado at an indefinite future.

And this is where Lagos APC’s reference to nostalgia for Jonathan is important. At the core of their consciousness, Tinubu’s honchos know that Tinubu and Jonathan are basically indistinguishable in their policies and philosophy of governance, with Tinubu only being luckier than Jonathan in the quality and virility of the opposition that confronts him.

This kind of rhetorical inversion draws on a well-documented psychological mechanism known as projection. In projection, individuals or groups unconsciously attribute their own flaws, motives, or behaviors to others as a way of deflecting scrutiny and avoiding accountability. When accused of what they are themselves guilty of, they attempt to confuse the moral ledger by shifting attention outward, creating a smokescreen that redirects blame.

Politically, this tactic is especially potent: it muddies the waters, preempts criticism, and rallies supporters around a narrative that appears to expose an opponent’s failings, when in reality it is a mirror image of their own.

In this case, APC operatives attack Jonathan’s economic record not only to tarnish him but also to mask the uncomfortable resemblance between his policies and those Tinubu now implements.

And nostalgia can be a powerful winning tool in elections. Donald Trump benefited from it. The American electorate remembered that prices of eggs were lower when he was president, not minding that the lower prices had nothing to do with him. In fact, the prices have tripled since his return.

In Malawi, 85-year-old former President Peter Mutharika defeated incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in the 2025 presidential election partly because of nostalgic feelings about his time in office and hopes that he can recreate that time in place of the hell Malawians are going through now, although as Boniface Dulani, an associate professor of political science at the University of Malawi, told The Guardian, ‘If there was an election that one would want to lose, then maybe this was one election to lose for Chakwera, because I don’t really think they are going to be able to turn things around.’

In my August 16, 2025 column titled ‘Jonathan’s Entry Would Radically Shake the 2027 Election,’ I conceded that ‘there are some genuinely praiseworthy things Jonathan did when he was in power, which many of his critics, including me, acknowledge only with the benefit of hindsight. For instance, his willingness to back down from unpopular policies after sustained outcries and protests, which we took for granted but which none of his successors has replicated, has stood him out.’

That is precisely why Tinubu’s people may be deeply unsettled by the prospect of Jonathan’s return. In the midst of the economic torment Nigerians are enduring, the memory of Jonathan’s era, however imperfect, can take on a golden hue.

The danger for Tinubu is not that Jonathan has a magic formula to solve Nigeria’s crises, but that Nigerians, weary of hardship, may cling to the relative stability, tolerance for dissent, and responsive governance they now retrospectively associate with Jonathan’s presidency.

Even if Jonathan cannot turn things around, nostalgia doesn’t need to be rational to be politically potent; it only needs to resonate emotionally with a suffering electorate.

This latent power of memory is, perhaps, what keeps Tinubu’s camp on edge – particularly in the unlikely event that Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi decide to forgo their ambitions and unite behind him.

Tinubu’s fear of Jonathan says less about Jonathan’s actual political strength and more about the fragile legitimacy of Tinubu’s own policies. When a government mirrors the past it once condemned, it risks empowering nostalgia as a political force. And in a country battered by hardship, memory can be as decisive at the ballot box as manifestos.