• Says firm’s report based on its own errors, invalid conclusions
The Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee yesterday said the global network of professional services firms KPMG got it all wrong on its recent analysis of the newly enacted tax laws in Nigeria.
KPMG had alleged what it called multiple errors and gaps in the new law, and called for an urgent review by the federal government.
The ‘errors’ include Section 6(2) of the NTA which KPMG claimed may result in double taxation for foreign companies. It advocated amendments to clarify the treatment of foreign and local dividends.
According to KPMG, the Act stipulates that undistributed foreign profits are to be “construed as distributed” while also requiring such profits to be “included in the profits of the Nigerian company”, implying income tax at 30 percent.
KPMG said Section 6(1) of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), 2025, should be amended to exempt non-resident companies whose income is subject to final tax deduction at source from tax registration.
This, the firm said, would align with Section 11(3) of the NTAA, which already exempts such companies from filing tax returns.
Responding to the criticism yesterday however, Chairman of the Presidential Committee, Mr.Taiwo Oyedele said much of the firm’s analysis was based on misunderstandings of policy intent, mischaracterisation of deliberate reforms and the presentation of opinions as facts.
He said that while some of the issues raised by the consulting firm were useful, particularly those relating to implementation risks and clerical or cross-referencing matters, the bulk of the commentary failed to properly situate the reforms within their broader fiscal and economic objectives.
According to Oyedele, several matters described by KPMG as “errors”, “gaps” or “omissions” were either based on incorrect conclusions, incomplete understanding of the reforms, missed policy context, or reflected preferences for alternative outcomes rather than flaws in the law itself.
He said disagreement with policy direction should not be presented as technical errors, noting that other professional firms adopted a more constructive approach by engaging directly with policymakers for clarification and mutual learning.
Oyedele stressed that the new tax laws contain deliberate policy choices designed to meet defined reform objectives, and that it is important to distinguish between such choices and recommendations that merely reflect the preferences of external advisers.
Addressing concerns over the taxation of shares and the stock market, Oyedele dismissed suggestions that the new chargeable gains provisions would trigger a sell-off.
He said the tax rate on gains from shares ranged from zero to a maximum of 30 per cent, which is expected to reduce to 25 per cent and not a flat 30 per cent.
Oyedele added that about 99 per cent of investors qualify for unconditional exemption, while others are eligible subject to reinvestment.
“The stock market is currently at an all-time high with increased investment flows, showing that investors understand that the reforms strengthen company fundamentals, profitability and cash flows,” he said, adding that claims of an impending sell-off were not supported by evidence.
On the commencement date of the new laws, Oyedele argued that proposals to align implementation strictly with the start of an accounting period failed to appreciate the complexity of a wholesale tax reform. He said the changes cut across multiple assessment bases, audit timelines, deductions, credits and penalties, making it difficult to anchor commencement to a single accounting date without leaving critical transition issues unresolved.
He also defended the inclusion of provisions on the indirect transfer of shares, describing them as consistent with global best practice and international efforts to curb base erosion and profit shifting.
The objective, he said, was to close a long-standing loophole exploited by multinational companies and other investors, not to undermine competitiveness. He described claims that the provision could threaten economic stability as misleading.
On value added tax, Oyedele said calls for an explicit VAT exemption on insurance premiums were unnecessary as insurance premiums do not constitute a taxable supply under Nigerian tax law. “Insurance is about risk transfer, not the supply of goods or services subject to VAT. This has always been the legal and administrative position,” he said.
Responding to concerns about the inclusion of “community” in the definition of a taxable person, Oyedele said the drafting approach was consistent with modern legislative principles. He explained that statutory definitions apply wherever the defined term is used, unless the context dictates otherwise, adding that comprehensive definitions help streamline operative provisions and avoid repetition.
He also defended the composition of the Joint Revenue Board, saying its revenue-focused membership was intentional and designed to provide subnational tax perspectives that complement the fiscal policy mandate of the Ministry of Finance. He noted that the structure mirrored that of the former Joint Tax Board, which functioned effectively.
Clarifying dividend taxation, Oyedele said KPMG appeared to conflate foreign-controlled companies with foreign operations of Nigerian companies. He explained that dividends from foreign companies could not be franked because no Nigerian withholding tax would have been deducted, and that different treatment of dividends from Nigerian and foreign companies reflected a deliberate and logical policy distinction.
On non-resident taxation, he said the assumption that final withholding tax automatically removes the obligation to register or file returns ignored the broader purpose of tax administration. He noted that filing requirements apply even where tax has been finally deducted, both for residents and non-residents, as returns serve compliance and information purposes beyond revenue collection.
Oyedele also criticised proposals that he said would undermine key reform objectives. He rejected suggestions to exempt foreign insurance companies from tax on premiums written in Nigeria, warning that such a move would disadvantage local insurers in their own market. He also defended the disallowance of tax deductions for foreign exchange sourced from the parallel market at rates above the official window, describing it as a fiscal measure aligned with monetary policy to discourage round-tripping and support naira stability.
He further explained that linking deductibility of expenses to VAT compliance was an anti-avoidance measure aimed at eliminating the advantage previously enjoyed by businesses that patronised VAT-evading suppliers. According to him, the rule promotes fairness and encourages voluntary compliance, especially given provisions that allow for self-charging of VAT.
On personal income tax, Oyedele said criticisms of the 25 per cent top marginal rate ignored the fact that effective tax rates for high earners could be significantly lower due to pension contributions and other reliefs. He said the rate compared favourably with those in several African countries and advanced economies, arguing that the structure promotes fairness without eroding competitiveness. He added that the combination of higher rates for top earners and lower corporate tax was intended to ease the tax burden associated with business formalisation.
He also pointed out factual errors in KPMG’s analysis, including references to the Police Trust Fund, which he said expired in June 2025 following the end of its six-year statutory lifespan. He noted that concerns about the impact of small company tax exemptions on larger firms predated the new laws, as the relevant thresholds were introduced under the Finance Act 2021.
Oyedele said the publication failed to acknowledge major structural improvements introduced by the reforms, such as tax simplification and harmonisation, the planned reduction in corporate tax rate to 25 per cent, expanded input VAT credits, exemptions for low-income earners and small businesses, the removal of minimum tax on turnover and capital, and stronger investment incentives for priority sectors.
He said the reforms were the product of extensive consultations and a transparent legislative process that included public hearings and opportunities for professional input. While acknowledging that clerical inconsistencies could arise in any comprehensive overhaul, he said such issues were already being addressed internally.
“The success of the new tax laws now depends largely on administrative guidance, clarifications from the tax authority and supporting regulations, pending future amendments,” Oyedele said. He called on stakeholders to move beyond static critique and adopt a more collaborative approach that supports effective implementation and advances Nigeria’s goal of building a self-sustaining and competitive economy.
Moderation, middle of the road, restraint are virtues now almost completely alien to Nigerians. Islamic cleric Ahmed Gumi threatens the republic on behalf of Fulani herdsmen, arguing apocalyptically that going to war with them over banditry and killings would be counterproductive and unwinnable. Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, alias Cubana Chief Priest, night club owner and former shoemaker, threatens the ruling APC with defeat in the next presidential poll for jailing IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu. Oyo governor Seyi Makinde also threatens ‘to use madness to cure madness’ should the 2027 poll be rigged. His assumption, of course, is that should the PDP lose, then the elections were rigged. And then, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, always hyperbolic and vengeful, Peter Obi, ever so highfalutin, and other African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders, have also jointly threatened that chaos would ensue if the next elections were rigged. In all, every one of these threateners indicate that their loss would equate with the ruling party rigging the polls.
The social media is not left out. There have been torrents of threats against the republic should the republic persist in fighting bandits laying the society waste. And there is also the owner of Air Peace threatening that if the new tax laws were not repealed or suspended, airline business would collapse inside a month. And finally, Nigeria’s neocolonial elite still bewitched by America and the irreverent President Donald Trump have threatened that should the APC rig the elections, US would give Nigerian leaders the Nicolas Maduro treatment. Truly sad. Flowing from the threats, it is clear that most Nigerian political and business elite are overrated.
Barely weeks after they seemed to have put their animosities behind them, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have unsheathed their swords again. It didn’t take months in the first instance for the war between the two leaders to break out after the 2023 elections. Since then, they had been at daggers drawn until President Bola Tinubu brokered a peace deal between the warring factions. That deal quickly unravelled even before the ink was dry. Then threats of impeachment followed in quick succession, later a proclamation of emergency that stalled the impeachment, and soon thereafter another tentative peace deal presupposing that the combatants had learnt their lessons. Alas, all along, trench warfare had been unfolding, leading once again to another round of impeachment notice served one way or the other, on the governor last week.
While the war seems to be about political disagreements caused by misdirected loyalties, it is really all about a battle for supremacy between the governor and the FCT minister. Mr Fubara does not appear to know how to sustain a peace deal, in addition to being tactless and insufferable; and Mr Wike seems apathetical to being gracious and patient, in addition to being overbearing. That the war keeps flaring, it is now very obvious, is less a reflection of the contents of the various peace deals and truces reached in the past as it is about the idiosyncrasies of the two politicians unmitigated by time, politics, logic and affiliations. There will perhaps be another round, or even a few more rounds, of making peace, but it is uncertain that any peace penned would last between two men so unalike in their worldviews and so fundamentally opposed politically and behaviourally.
The war had been simmering for months despite strenuous efforts to keep up appearances and paper over the cracks. But the latest battle began when an unreflective All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretary, Ajibola Basiru, speaking at the commissioning of projects in Rivers State three days before Christmas, indirectly endorsed Governor Fubara for a second term in office. Having defected to the APC on December 9, not too long after a majority of Rivers lawmakers headed in the same direction, the governor, it was clear, had indeed begun to nurse a second term. It was probably not the most prudent ambition to exhibit in the circumstances, but it had been rumoured that one of the provisions in the peace deal Mr Fubara entered into related to his abjuration of a second term ambition. This may explain why Mr Wike kept harping on the ‘agreement is agreement’ mantra. But whether true or not, for the deal had never been made public, Mr Basiru, who was in a position to know the dynamic of the Rivers crisis, should have been more circumspect in his utterances.
Last week’s flare up is also speculated to have been partly triggered by Mr Wike’s meddling in the succession battles in a few APC states. Incensed, some APC governors, already aware that the former Rivers governor was resented in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet due to his rising profile and charismatic politics, threw in their lot with Mr Fubara and let it be known publicly that the governor was being treated contemptuously by a non-APC cabinet member who was becoming too big for his britches. They, therefore, began lending the Rivers governor support for his second term, agreement or no agreement. Mr Wike’s burden is compounded by two militating factors. One is the central role he seems to be playing in the disaffection and distemper coursing through the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), vitiating their politics and rendering them so weakened by dissension that any hope of revival appears foreclosed before the next round of elections in 2027. He is unloved and roundly hated in the opposition, making them wish his downfall. They revel in the animosities he has awakened in the APC and suggest that the ruling party had it coming, and so should not complain after deploying him as a battering ram against the opposition.
The second factor is more troubling and a little nuanced. His enemies in both the PDP and APC do not pull their punches in suggesting cynically that Mr Wike had rested almost his entire relevance in the Tinubu cabinet on how he swung Rivers State for the APC in the 2023 presidential poll. That race and that victory were of course pivotal to President Tinubu’s election, but some APC leaders now say it is discourteous and impolitic to keep hammering on it as if the entire election was won by that singular state electoral success. The Rivers poll victory was part of a collective, they said, albeit a significant part. Mr Wike’s constant iteration of his role in the Rivers poll success has finally driven many APC leaders up the wall, and they are sick and tired of his preening.
President Tinubu, a far better tactician than Mr Wike or any other political leader in the ruling party or in the opposition party today, has been more forbearing of Mr Wike’s excesses. He recognises that his stake in winning the 2027 presidential poll is far more epochal in significance than Mr Wike retaining his political relevance in Rivers. The other APC leaders, some of them popular governors in their own right, are more than ready to give battle to the former Rivers governor. And they have signaled their preparedness to fight, regardless of the cost in 2027. For the president to throw caution to the wind, however, and join them in the fray, they will have to convince him that sacrificing Mr Wike or even weakening his hold over Rivers would cost the APC little or nothing.
• Hospital sympathises with writer, ready to engage regulatory authorities
• Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists monitors allegation
One of Nigeria’s celebrated authors, and a visiting Professor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Chimamanda Adichie, has accused a Lagos-based hospital, Euracare Hospital, of negligence, a circumstance, she alleged, led to the death of her one-year-old son, Nkanu.
While the Lagos State government has ordered an investigation, the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) says it is monitoring allegations.
Adichie, in a statement issued on Saturday, explained that her family had travelled to Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu fell ill with what initially appeared to be a common cold, but the condition worsened, leading to his admission at Atlantis Hospital. The condition became worse, a situation which forced the family to move Kanu to Euracare Hospital.
Adichie said her family had arranged for Nkanu to travel to the United States on January 7, accompanied by doctors, where a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was prepared to receive him.
According to Adichie: “The morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis Hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms. We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.
“I was waiting just outside the theatre. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened.
“A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated. But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator; he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone
“It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theatre, so nobody knew when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.”
Adichie also accused the anesthesiologist of acting recklessly, even carrying Nkanu on his shoulder while switching off his oxygen before transferring him to the ICU.
She described the actions as “criminally negligent” and “fatally casual, saying: “How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!
“The anesthesiologist was criminally negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.
“We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child.
“We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.”
Lagos orders probe
Reacting to the accusation, the Lagos State Government has ordered a full investigation into alleged medical negligence following the death of Nkanu.
In a statement yesterday, signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, the government expressed deep condolences to Adichie and her family over what it described as a painful and irreparable loss.
The government said the incident, which reportedly occurred on January 6, had drawn its attention and assured the family and the public of its commitment to justice and accountability.
It stressed that it places the highest value on human life and has zero tolerance for medical negligence or unprofessional conduct in any health facility operating in the state.
According to the statement, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to immediately commence a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
“HEFAMAA has since commenced investigations and visited the facility involved as part of the ongoing inquiry,” the government said, adding that the agency would conduct a comprehensive review of all allegations and reports linked to the incident.
The government explained that HEFAMAA, which is statutorily mandated to regulate, monitor and accredit public and private health facilities in Lagos, routinely investigates cases of alleged medical negligence and unethical practices to safeguard patient safety and uphold professional standards.
It noted that the agency would work closely with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure a credible and professional investigation.
The probe, it added, would examine compliance with clinical protocols, professional conduct, patient safety standards, and the roles of all parties involved.
“The findings of the investigation will be made public once concluded, in the interest of transparency and public accountability,” the statement said.
The government warned that any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct or regulatory violations would face the full weight of the law.
While urging the public to remain calm and avoid speculation, the state government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening oversight of medical practice to prevent a recurrence of such tragic incidents.
Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists monitors allegation
The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) says it is monitoring allegations of medical negligence surrounding the death of Adichie’s 21-month-old son, Nkanu.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), its National President, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed, disclosed this on Saturday.
The statement issued by Omawumi Ogbe of GLG Communications said, “The family is devastated by this profound loss, and we request that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time.”
However, days after, sources close to the family had alleged medical negligence at a Lagos private hospital where Nkanu was taken for medical procedures ahead of a scheduled evacuation to the U.S. for further treatment as the cause of the boy’s death.
“The hospital involved is likely to conduct its own investigation for more facts by getting oral and documented evidence.
“You know the patient will have a record, whether manual or electronic, that can be printed out there.
“Then there may be an independent investigative panel to look further based on the allegations, depending on if the mother or relatives want to take it further,” Mohammed said.
He explained that the investigation would focus on verification of the registration status of the individuals and facilities, compliance with approved scopes of practice, adherence to medical protocols, and identification if negligence contributed to the incident.
Mohammed said the NSA awaits more information before commenting further on the issue.
From Defence Minister Christopher Musa yesterday came a warning to terrorists across the country that it would not be business as usual for them this year.
He also told collaborators of terrorists and bandits to desist forthwith or be prepared for the consequences of their action.
The Minister spoke during the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day Golf Tournament at the TYB International Golf Club, Abuja.
“Those who are still supporting bandits, criminals, insurgents and terrorists should stop immediately,” he said.
“The friend of a thief is a thief. We urge all law-abiding Nigerians to provide timely intelligence.
“As soon as you see something, say something, so the Armed Forces can take swift action. We are always ready to respond.”
Gen Musa described the annual Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance as a period to pay tribute to soldiers who have sacrificed their lives, including those who were injured in the line of duty.
He also commended the families of fallen heroes for their resilience.
He said: “As usual, we use this period to celebrate both those who are serving and those who have passed on.
“It is important to honour their sacrifices and to let our troops know that Nigerians stand with them. Together, we will succeed.”
The Minister commended President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support to personnel and their families.
He appealed to all Nigerians to continue to support the Armed Forces, stressing that the collective responsibility of security requires vigilance, cooperation, and patriotic commitment from every citizen.
The event was held in honour of serving and fallen members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
Addressing the participants, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, highlighted the importance of public cooperation in achieving national security.
He said security is everybody’s business and expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their support over the years.
He called for more cooperation to fully achieve our mandate.
The CDS commended the armed forces for their courage and professionalism, saying,“it is not easy to go out there and sacrifice your life so that others can live in peace.
NAF jets hit terrorists in Borno, destroy enclave
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) intensified the onslaught against terrorists on Thursday with airstrikes on suspected hideouts at AbbagaJiri in the Timbuktu Triangle , Borno State.
Spokesperson for the NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the strikes followed “ actionable, multi-source intelligence that confirmed active terrorist presence, structures, and concealed logistics facilities in the area.”
He said NAF air assets were employed in integrated surveillance and precision strike roles to engage identified targets.
“The operation was deliberately designed to degrade terrorist capability, deny sanctuary, and shape the battle space for ground forces, in strict adherence to established rules of engagement and the protection of non-combatants,” he said.
According to the spokesperson, the identified terrorist structures were decisively engaged and destroyed, denying the terrorists freedom of action, while a follow-up engagement neutralised armed elements observed converging on the location.
He said subsequent advances by ground troops into the area confirmed the effectiveness of the air strikes and validated the success of the joint air–land operation.
Ejodame said the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, noted that the success of the mission reflected the Air Force’s resolve to dominate the air domain in support of joint operations.
“This operation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to delivering precise and decisive airpower in support of ground forces. We will continue to deny terrorists freedom of movement, sanctuary, and logistics wherever they seek to hide,” the CAS said.
• Lagos Island CBD environs overdue for urban renewal – Expert
It is no longer news that the Great Insurance building, located on Lagos Island, was razed on Christmas Eve. What is news, however, is that more than two weeks after the incident, the fate of traders and business owners in the Central Business District hangs in the balance, as demolitions continue. GBENGA ADERANTI reports.
It was a Monday morning, and a group of people gathered at a corner, talking in hushed tones; however, their gesticulations and facial expressions were very loud. Visibly written on their faces were pains of loss.
When our correspondent attempted to talk to a few of them, he was met with a rebuff; clearly, they preferred to be left alone to bemoan their losses.
They were traders and businessmen who lost millions of naira in the Great Nigeria Insurance building fire that engulfed many other buildings around it on Lagos Island on last Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, precisely.
But sitting quietly in a corner not far from the site of the incident was Tochukwu, who had his shop near the GNI building. Deep in thought, with his hand on his chin, a gentle tap on his shoulder by our correspondent jolted him from his deep thoughts. “How you dey? Are you one of the victims?” The reporter asked. “Yes, I have a shop here, he answered, even without looking up to see who was talking to him.
“My plaza is opposite the GNI building, and my own goods were not affected. I removed and kept them in a store before the fire escalated.”
With the demolitions ongoing, Tochukwu is afraid that he might lose his shop and be moved to other areas. “If they can bring the building that got burnt down, we will continue our business here. We don’t have any issue with this place; this place is okay. Bring the building that was burnt down so that people can have access to their businesses. We are happy with this place,” Tochukwu said.
Tochukwu’s fear could be genuine, considering the volume of demolition that is currently ongoing at the site.
While traders like Tochukwu are afraid that the action of the government might adversely affect the traders and the business owners, another trader, Chukwu Moses, whose shop has been cordoned off, told The Nation that the governor should act as governor to bring sanity to the environment.
One of the responders at the site told our correspondent that the firefighters had to empty two trucks of water in one of the stores before they could put out the fire in one of the sections of the building.
He also explained further that assessing some of the stores was a herculean task, adding that the amount of clothing materials and some combustible items also made putting out the fire very difficult.
“It was difficult for us to access some of the stores. This made the job difficult. I had to beg one of the boys living here to help navigate this difficult terrain.
“The clothing materials that are kept inside the shops also did not help matters, as they helped the fire to burn more.”
It was gathered that some of the shops had no fire extinguisher, though one of the traders told our correspondent that the availability of a fire extinguisher played a major role in stopping the fire from spreading.
But for fire extinguishers…
Speaking to The Nation, Joseph Okike, whose business was on Oluwole Plaza close to the burnt GNI building, was lucky. He said it was the fire extinguishers they had in place that helped; the plaza would have been completely razed.
He said he lost a substantial part of his goods in the process of moving them out of the store to a safe place. “As we were bringing our goods out, because we didn’t have anybody to help us look after them, other people made away with them.”
While giving kudos to the firefighters for their efforts, he said, “We were able to manage the ones that would have engulfed Oluwole Plaza, but those buildings around the Great Nigeria House got burnt. Oluwole was only partially affected.
“Our Iyaloja had mandated every shop to have a fire extinguisher. When the thing escalated and was coming to Oluwole, those who were around brought out fire extinguishers, while the firefighters were trying to put out the major one,” Okike said.
He disclosed that if the management of the plaza gets its fire-fighter truck in the near future, it would surely help because part of the firefighters that were available came from the United Bank for Africa building.
Unfortunately, while places like Oluwole had fire extinguishers, the majority of the stores and offices had none.
Another trader, still sorrowing over his loss, told The Nation that his goods were stolen. He was, however, lucky that some of them were arrested and were being detained at Zone 2 Police headquarters.
“They burgled my business. I sell ladies’ wear; some of them have been arrested.”
Even days after the fire incident, The Nation noticed that big generators were still being kept on their decked shops.
This reporter counted up to four generators placed on decked buildings. Some of the decked houses had industrial generators on top of them.
It was also observed that traders and residents had started decongesting the vicinity, many of them demolishing extra structures which were not part of the original plan of the building, but constructed for business purposes.
Before the incident, all the available spaces had been turned into shops and stalls, with many having ‘shoot out’. All those were being demolished, not by the government, but by the property owners themselves, irrespective of whether the building was affected or not.
Last Monday morning, when The Nation visited the site, there was near commotion between some hoodlums, traders and the security agents, as security personnel tried to evict them from the adjoining shops, in compliance with the order of the Lagos State Governor that all the traders should vacate the scene of the incident.
The Nation gathered that most of the traders were not happy with the situation in the Central Business District, but could only complain in silence.
One of the traders, Chukwu Moses, confirmed that the fire that destroyed the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance building started around 3-4 pm, and by 8 pm, it had escalated.
Moses, while sympathising with those who lost their goods in the fire, disclosed that he was lucky; he did not lose anything in the fire, but worried that his means of livelihood had been suspended.
He, however, expressed support for the governor for bringing sanity to the area.
He explained that the ongoing private demolitions by the property owners were on Governor Sanwo- Olu’s orders.
A visibly angry Moses said the governor should do what he ought to do because “most of these fire incidents are always caused by shoot–outs (building extension) and ‘facing generators’ in addition to wrong wire connection. I would advise that the governor should act as a governor.”
Sanwo-Olu reads the riot act
The governor was appalled by what he saw; many of the shop owners and traders had contravened building codes, he lamented.
Sanwo-Olu said he observed reckless flouting of the State’s building regulations to an unacceptable level, noting that the traders were lawless. He said each time people flouted the rules and refused to obey regulations, the effects were always greater in impact.
He said: “In the last hour, I have gone round the streets within the market. From a non-professional assessment, it was clear that most of the buildings in the market are completely distressed. But we will conduct a professional assessment on all the buildings to ascertain our findings. We will not sit back and listen to people doing as they like. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed, and means of livelihood shattered.
“We have seen that there has been a lot of recklessness and carelessness on the part of the traders. Going round the market, I personally counted over 14 industrial generators placed on the fourth and fifth floors of some buildings. We saw unapproved structures built on original floors approved in certain buildings. I saw shops built next to electric transformers, which goes to show how traders have been careless with their lives.
“This is an opportunity for us to embark on the complete regeneration of the whole area. We are sending messages to property owners and developers to come forward; we will be evaluating all the buildings in the market. Regenerating the trading space is going to be a tough decision for us, but it is a proper step to take to preserve lives and properties. We will not shy away from taking this responsibility.”
Sanwo-Olu, therefore, ordered a complete regeneration of the market for the restoration of its aesthetics and space.
He also said trading in unapproved areas made vehicular movement difficult in the market, which hindered the first responders from getting access to the scene on time.
“When the fire was raging, people were told to leave the building and the nearby buildings, but some of them stayed back to salvage their goods at the risk of their lives,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor designated the site as “active site”, disclosing that emergency responders comprising Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), NEMA, police, Department of State Service, the Army, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and Central Business District (CBD) Office would remain on the site to assist families seeking information.
For continuous emergency management at the scene, Sanwo-Olu on Friday directed that all shops and buildings within 100 metre radius of the fire site should remain shut until further notice, stressing that the area was still not safe for movement.
While the environment has currently been cordoned off, one clear signal this reporter got was that many traders were anxiously waiting to restart their businesses. It took the efforts of the police and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) to stop them.
Most ironic was the fact that many of the traders on the ground that Monday morning were eager to enter the site of the fire accident.
One of the traders disclosed that the fire would have been curtailed if necessary actions had been taken. The Nation learnt that on that evening of December 24, some people who were having a party around 4 pm had noticed smoke coming out of the GNI building, but overlooked it, thinking it was not something serious. “Unfortunately, by 8pm, the fire had escalated. If only they had acted promptly or drawn the attention of the firefighters to it, we would not be where we are today,” a source said.
Probably without the prompt response by LASEMA, NEMA, firefighters, police, and neighbourhood watch on that Christmas Eve, things would have been worse.
Fire emanated from fourth floor – LASEMA
In an update on December 25, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in a preliminary report signed by the Permanent Secretary of the agency, said preliminary investigations showed that the fire originated from an apartment on the fourth floor before rapidly escalating to the sixth floor and beyond.
As of last Friday, eight people had been confirmed dead.
As of the time of writing this report, investigations were ongoing into what caused the incident.
While the demolitions are ongoing, this reporter observed that the surroundings of the fire incident looked much like a place just ravaged by war. Curiously, one of the nearby building owners was seen trying to carry out some renovations, but he was promptly stopped by LASBCA officials, amidst stern warnings.
Although the 25-storey building was still standing at the time of the visit, it was looking grotesque. The faint sound of debris dropping intermittently from the building could be heard, an indication of a disaster waiting to happen.
In the same vein, smoke still bellowed, while fire continued to rage within and outside the GNI building that Monday noon.
Explaining the complexity of the area, one of the residents told The Nation that probably the damage could have been minimised if the firefighter had easy access to the site.
Aside from the crowd and hoodlums that made the job of responders a bit difficult, it was also gathered that it was difficult for the responders who had no knowledge of the area to navigate through shops and stores, which had little or no space for vehicular movements.
It was also gathered that, beyond what many see at the surface, the GNI building is a building that has many business interests.
Underneath the 25-story building were stores where traders kept different goods, especially textiles. “Clothing material in some of the stores and shops aggravated the fire. That is why you see fire still burning in certain places,” one of the responders at the site said.
While many had blamed the Great Nigeria Insurance for not adhering to safety measures, it has come out to say it had no control over the property with no office in the razed building.
Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc. says it does not have an office in the building that was gutted by fire.
In a statement dated December 26, 2025, GNI clarified its position on the property, expressing sympathy with those affected by the inferno.
GNI said it was granted a long-term lease of bare land at the address by the Shitta-Bey family, which is expected to expire on December 31, 2036.
The company said it erected a 25-storey building on the land for strategic investment purposes.
“It is noteworthy that GNI has since been in court with the Shitta-Bey family on the property because the family instituted three separate suits against GNI at both the Lagos State High Court and the Federal High Court,” the statement reads.
“All the suits were decided in favour of GNI.
“Thereafter, the family filed separate appeals in the Lagos Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal. In the year 2020, during the pendency of these appeals, the Shitta-Bey family, in utter disregard of the court orders in the suits between it and GNI, and during the subsistence of the unexpired leasehold of GNI, resorted to self-help, forcefully entered, and took over possession of the property.
“The Shitta-Bey family also proceeded to lease out the property to tenants without recourse to GNI. A responsible (sic) corporate organisation with its cherished corporate image to protect, GNI followed the legal path by approaching the High Court of Lagos State through a trespass action.
“The High Court ordered the Shitta-Bey family to vacate possession of the property and also restrained the family from continuing with further acts of trespass on the property.
“The family, being dissatisfied, appealed against the said ruling of the court.
“In the interim, the substantive suit challenging the family for trespass is still pending at the Lagos Judicial Division of the High Court of Lagos State.
“Consequently, GNI has for over five years been denied physical possession of the property.”
Before the Christmas Eve fire accident, multi-million naira businesses were ongoing around the vicinity with traffic of people, except on Sundays. That has changed right now as many of the traders are not sure of the fate that would befall their business.
The excavator drivers continue to pull down the walls of distressed buildings that were affected by the fire.
Although the GNI building is located on 47/57 Martin Street, The Nation observed on Monday that other adjacent buildings on Nnamdi Azikiwe Street were not spared, including the iconic Shitta Bey Mosque, which was opened in 1891. The charade of the mosque was looking grotesque. Scaffolding has been erected in front of the dilapidated building, indicating that renovation could start anytime soon.
While the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) continued to demolish distressed buildings, LASEMA was still at the scene of the incident with its search and rescue mission team. “We have been here since the incident happened, and we will continue to be here,” said one of the LASEMA staff members.
Though the possibility of rescuing survivors from the scene of the fire incident had become grim, LASEMA still maintained the registry of missing people.
‘Lagos Island CBD environs are overdue for urban renewal’
Dr Olabode Jegede (fnia, FOSHA), is an Architect, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, also a Fellow of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, United Kingdom and Principal Partner at Archiworth Associates, reacts to the Christmas Eve fire.
GNI building and the surroundings…
According to Dr. Jegede, “It is sad, but obviously, the building has to come down. Visual impression of the burnt edifice on Martins Street already shows an unstable relic of a once-bubbling activity centre. It is not a good sight to behold.
“Martins Street, Balogun and Idumota markets and Lagos Island CBD environs are overdue for urban renewal. Beyond the demolition, it is the government that has a statutory responsibility for urban renewal. You cannot just look at an urban space continually experiencing negative growth and do nothing.
“The government began some urban renewal projects in the Central Business District on the island, and there was a barrage of complaints from affected dwellers. People were complaining as expected, but there must be civil handshakes for the right thing to be done. The neglect has been there for ages, but something has to be done to prevent further calamities in that axis.
“There is no shortcut to these things. People have built beyond their statutory spaces and made both vehicular and pedestrian flows quite a nightmare. Walkways became extensions of shops, and all sorts of commerce were going on everywhere without regard to other road users. It is a shame this scenario played out for so long, but this GNI fire incident should inspire the government to correct the wrongs.
“We cannot continue this route of reckless disregard for our urban spaces. It affects our quality of life, the air we breathe in and of course, our wellbeing. It is time to say no to reckless abuse of our air corridor.
“The poor vehicular access and raging mob contributed to the inability of the firefighters to arrive at the spot early enough. How could a fire truck navigate a space that even tricycles struggle to pass in the daytime? It is impossible!
“The government obviously needs to build fire stations within 150 meters radius of that neighbourhood, considering the recurrent incidence of fire outbreaks in the Lagos Island CBD. But building Fire stations is not enough; those stations should be ready with water and support from other Fire stations and the fire departments of other buildings in the neighbourhood. We remembered how some of the banks on Martin Street used to bring out their fire trucks to help during outbreaks on the island.
“The government showed up with Fire Brigades, LASEMA, and NEMA for emergency services, but they can improve on the response time, and the public should offer more assistance rather than taking videos and pictures.”
On the legal status of the building
“The legal status of the building in terms of ownership might have contributed to the maintenance of the services and preparedness for emergencies in the building itself. It was in the public domain that there were issues with subsisting ownership between the management of Great Nigerian Insurance and a popular Lagos family with respect to the lease agreement. Such disagreements could have a remote effect on the scheduled maintenance programme of the building.
“A 23-storey building obviously has a maintenance manual which should be religiously followed. There are scheduled checks on the fire preparedness through fire drills, Fire pumps, extinguishers and dedicated water tanks for the fire equipment. No one could ascertain the status of all these primary fire prevention and fire-fighting facilities in the building. There is a possibility of a compromise of such an important exercise due to distractions on the legality of the lease agreement.
“It was mentioned during the stampede that the fire outbreak began at one of the lower floors, yet it consumed the whole building without a sustained capacity to curtail the spread. It was a big shame and quite devastating that this situation occurred.
“As an architect and a safety practitioner, one wonders what the Safety, Health and Environmental (SH&E) factors were in place before this fire incident. To extend this further, all high-rise companies should take a lesson from this loss, then evaluate and upgrade their SH&E compliance as a matter of urgency. The best time to prepare for a fire outbreak in a building is purely at the design stage of the structure. This could be effectively done, proactively, through design layout, choice of building materials and technical specification of fire equipment and installation.”
Why buildings have to come down
Jegede would go on to say that the state government has declared that the building has to come down. “That building needs to be brought down for two other reasons. There is what we call Post -Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of a building. When a structure is designed and built for a specific purpose, there is a limit to which such a building should be stressed beyond the design resilience.
“The Great Nigerian Insurance had commissioned their architects and the design team to design an office space, and it was primarily built for that purpose. However, in recent years, POE shows that the building has transitioned from formal use as an office complex to a typical village market in which everybody appropriates their space, and uses it the way they like because there is no central control, turning them to warehouses for the storage of heavy tonnage of goods even on the higher floors. This implied that the structural integrity of that building has been stretched far beyond the design function.
“Secondly, the building was abandoned for a while, possibly due to legal issues with the lease agreement. However, it got renovated later and became a commercial nerve centre for all sorts of businesses. The implications are more structural partitions for different shop owners with their attendant storage purposes and the possibility of reckless use of power generation at different levels, which was at variance with the designed centralised power supply from a unitary source.
“Also, electrical cables, both low voltage (LV) and high voltage installations in the building, have been exposed to intensive heats which must have denatured them. The concrete and reinforcement bars installed have limits to intense heat exposure, thereby compromising their properties and function.
“The Lagos state government has constituted a technical recovery and demolition committee to ensure safe and controlled demolition of the 23-storey GNI building on Martins Street. It is my prayer that the committee also includes as part of their terms of reference a comprehensive evaluation of the safety and structural integrity of adjacent buildings and ensure their compliance with SH&E.
Global attention in the past week has riveted on developments in the beautiful Venezuelan capital of Caracas. It has been a surreal supercharged drama, the type normally reserved for enthralling science fiction. The entire world has been on edge, like the audience at a movie that has become too real for comfort. You have a feel that this is history as it has been, as it really is and as it is going to be. So get on with it. But you also begin to doubt the collective health of humanity.
History is made by history-makers and not by those at the receiving end of historical developments; the passive receptacles who are nothing but canon fodders of human development. The Americans, astute choreographers of historical developments that they have proved to be, have even added a touch of eerie certitude to the extraordinary and outlandish development. It was exactly thirty five years since a former American minion, Manuel Noriega, was flushed out of the presidential precincts in Panama City before being taken into American custody after days of wondering in the same country he had ruled with iron severity.
This time around, the Americans have even scaled up the chilling expertise in high-tech human vaporization. Whether we like the American rampart militarism or not, whether we admire Donald Trump’s manic war-mongering and malevolent exhibitionism , his obtuse insensitivity to the plight of fellow humans, you have to go give something to him and his compatriots. The military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro was a classic of its genre showcasing human military ingenuity and capacity for brutal violence at its summit. It was from start to finish, brilliantly coordinated, clinically executed and tellingly enacted, leaving no room for any margin of error.
The Americans have been showing the world why they are emphatic and unquestionable masters of the universe and worthy successors to the mantle of the Roman Empire. It would have felt very good and immensely reassuring if our world were to be under the threat of an attack by some invaders from some outer planets. But we are not. We are our own worst enemies. Some twenty five years ago when the Americans blitzed their way through Saddam Hussein and his empire of venality, it was advanced by military experts that after America, the combined military might of the next twenty five countries could not approach the military dominion of the most successful country that the world has seen. The suspicion is that this disproportion would have increased ever since as an exhausted and historically superannuated Europe began to cynically offload its responsibility to defend itself on the American big brother which takes its divine mission, his manifest destiny and notion of American Exceptionalism to a new level.
So, before we begin to castigate the Americans for disturbing the peace of the world and for disrupting the extant global order, we must factor in the dereliction of duty and the sense of historic ennui and sheer fatigue, the disorienting weariness, that seem to have overtaken the lapsed empires of Europe. We can then ask the legitimate question as to whether the world has become a better place to live, whether there has been increased prosperity and whether the plight of humankind generally has become more humane under the aegis of America’s unexampled might and total dominion.
But under a rightwing resurgence and the relentless hammer of a man with a ledger and balance sheet vision of history, the Americans are having none of that. We must first pay for past services and make arrangements to repair current debts. The world has taken America for a ride for a long time and this business of being your brother’s keeper only impoverishes Americans and set the citizens permanently on the boil while the Europeans go on their luxury holidays and the Africans wallow in their historic turpitude underwritten by American generosity and compassion. Charity must return to the home of charity and in order to make America great again, the Father Christmas nonsense must stop. As Oscar Wilde famously admonishes, we must avoid the careless habits of accuracy. The need for America to continue to parade as the global policeman while also insisting that it is all done in the interest of America’s supremacy is the central contradiction of the Trump enterprise and will see to its eventual unraveling.
Nevertheless, self-summoned duty has its summoned obligations. The concept of extraordinary rendition by which Nicolas Maduro, the ousted president of Venezuela and his wife, have found themselves in American custody this past week, is one of those unique American extralegal inventions which does not brook scrutiny because it has its foundation in the use of overwhelming force to arrive at predetermined and often illegal objectives. Redolent of brisk and extreme brutality in apprehending and transporting those on its wanted list of designated terrorists, It is America’s preferred mode of international abduction. But as it becomes an omnibus dragnet snapping up high-profile global personalities including serving heads of sovereign nations, the threat to extant global order cannot be overemphasized.
As America sets about establishing and projecting its bona fide as the undisputed master of the universe and its principal cop, the Treaty of Westphalia, the grundnorm of the modern nation-state paradigm, stands diminished and attenuated. After unending wars among the global principalities of the period, the treaty established the notion of sovereignty and territorial integrity based on dominated space rather than sphere of religion. Even then, succeeding global powers have often scoffed at the idea of sovereignty based on legal fiction rather than real power and authority. Superior French artillery put paid to the idea of Italian city-states, just as the French themselves could arguably be called the first masters of extraordinary rendition as seen in the tragic abduction of the Haitian leader, Toussaint L’ Overture, and his subsequent death in French incarceration.
In our era and in this particular conjuncture, however, no country has been more gung-ho in imposing its interests on the global order and more adept at projecting a rampart militarism and capacity for brutal preemption as the cornerstone of its foreign policy than the United States. Apart from capturing Nicolas Madura, Donald Trump has directly threatened Iran, Cuba, Colombia and has steamrolled even mighty Russia on the high seas aided by the British RAF. The American strongman has also resumed his psych-op and relentless baiting of Greenland asking the autonomous Arctic enclave to voluntarily relinquish sovereignty and surrender its age long autonomy. The danger in all this if care and caution are not taken and given Donald Trump’s combustible nature, is the possibility of a military overreach at some point which can have some apocalyptic consequences.
Let us now bring in literature in service of troubled reality and life as science fiction. As I was about returning to Nigeria last week, my first daughter pressed into my hand as part of Christmas gift, a recently reissued edition of the magical masterpiece by the Columbia master, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Autumn of the Patriarch is an unforgettable portrait of decaying splendour and splendid state paralysis enacted against the dismal background of an expiring Latin American despot holed up inside the presidential palace. It was a sumptuous feast of decadence and desuetude; a classic study in the epidemic of human dereliction. Huge vultures take position ready to feast on the remains of the dying emperor. The courtesans and couriers of power had all left, abandoning the old man to his fate.
The irony of Marquez’s novel could not have been more pronounced when three days later the Americans staged the extraordinary rendition of Nicolas Maduro and his spouse from the Caracas presidential palace. As a result of what is known as biological coup d’etat, the aging autocrats who swarmed the president palaces of Latin America, the Trujillos, , the Somozas, the Stroessners, the Duvaliers, the Ugarte Pinochets etc when the novel was published fifty years earlier have all disappeared. Time is the ultimate master of tyrants. Rather than being an aging dictator, Maduro was a caudillo in his prime. It was obvious from the swamp of bandage that the spouse had to be physically restrained. And rather than having vultures swarming over, it is drones that seem to relish devouring fresh human flesh in real time.
This is where this engrossing Venezuelan story finally turns on its head. What ought to be celebrated as a victory over communism gone rogue and liberation from the clutches of an antidemocratic fascist is fast transforming into a nationalist liberation struggle against foreign tyranny and a stirring rally for sovereignty. Extraordinary rendition has produced its own extraordinary rendition. With America hinting at full militarization and unwisely suggesting that its stay in the embattled country is unlikely to be a short an uneventful one, this is likely to provoke some ancient nationalist cadres in Venezuela to resuming what they know best: guerrilla sabotage. With Columbia actively hostile across a three-thousand miles border, we may be seeing another major American quagmire developing.
A strong person without discretion is often likened to a weak, ineffectual protagonist. One of the most remarkable consequences of the abduction of Nicolas Maduro is the global pushback it has spawned against authoritarian rightwing politics even in the Trumpian homeland. The obvious retreat of President Trump from a precipitate military overwhelming of Venezuela and the attempt to woo the hard men of Colombia is coming when the horse of resurgent nationalism had already bolted from the stable. Either as collective entities or as individuals, both countries are likely to dissolve into chaos and civil war.
Something is beginning to stir anew in humanity all over again. This has laid the condition for the possibility of a new benign type of leftwing politics to act as countervailing rallying point against the global dominance of xenophobic populism and rightwing authoritarianism. It will not in the short run halt the rampaging momentum of Donald Trump’s Wehrmacht. But it is likely to contain its excesses in the long run for the benefit of humanity.
Some new music is beginning to sound in the remote horizon. It is the time of extraordinary rendition. We may have to thank President Donald Trump for the lack of moral and political encumbrances which has allowed us to see the old global order for the unworthy charade it has become. But we can also see the limits of sledgehammer geopolitics in a world far more conflicted and convoluted than the time of Westphalia. It is time for a new global order.
The son of a master-fryer of akara balls does not want another master-fryer in business. (Omo alakara ko fe k’enikeji o din, Baba Yekemi) It is not often that you find a columnist paying respect and homage to another, particularly from the same newsgroup. Art is indeed a jealous master and writers can be a notoriously truculent and difficult brood. After paying copious tributes on this page to Dr Femi Orebe on the occasion of his reaching the octogenarian benchmark, the autumnal Ekiti warrior waited patiently for yours sincerely until the actual reception before collaring the columnist. “You this chap, so you cannot even pay me a common tribute without abusing me, abi?” the great man rumbled with ominous conviviality. Yours sincerely took mental note of all the possible and potential headhunters in the hall.
And while still talking about the tribe of celebrated pen-pushers and their infamous thin skin, it is meet to report that after a nasty tiff at a reception in the most rarified ambience of upper crust New York, Norman Mailer, the great novelist and celebrated hell-raiser, dumped the equally celebrated Gore Vidal on a pile of prime pancakes and Christmas decorations after a flurry of exploding punches. Mailer, a decorated boxer and World War Two hero, had little time for Vidal’s upper class pretensions. After being helped to his feet in all his Kilimanjaro-like heap, Vidal noted with aristocratic displeasure: “Words have failed Norman again”.
All this by way of tribute to a retiring fellow columnist on this newspaper who let it be known in a valedictory rally last Wednesday that his much cherished combo was calling it quit. Dr Tony Marinho, an illustrious scion of the illustrious Marinho clan, has been a tremendous asset to this newspaper right from inception. He was there from the word go even serving as a columnist on board of The Comet, the paper that transformed into The Nation. That is over twenty years of continuous exertions, relentlessly poleaxing the unjust, the unfair and the mindlessly incompetent while pointing the way to a better society. Before being publicly unveiled as a noted columnist, he had served as a member of the Anonymous Authors Association of Nigeria, his first letter to the editor having been published exactly fifty years ago in 1976 while serving as a second set NYSC medical doctor.
Dr Marinho writes with an “up and at ’em” gusto, a discernible British bull dog tenacity which leaves no stone unturned and no turn unstoned, as it was once famously noted. There is a stirring immediacy to the writing; a fierce sense of the urgency of now which makes the leisurely ambulatory gamboling of elderly stylists like yours sincerely a tad complacent and even faintly complicit. There is always something about the doctor which reminds one of the unforgettable poetic renditions of Simon and Garfunkel: The Boxer.
It is therefore not surprising to learn that in his youth, Marinho had been an apprentice boxer in the Abalti Barracks gym of the iconic boxer, Hogan Kid Bassey, former World Heavyweight Champion. The lessons learnt and imbibed, particularly the minatory crouching gait reminiscent of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, the science of relentlessly advancing without being poleaxed by a sucker punch, would have stood the eminent medico in good stead in the modern coliseum of Nigeria. This was the calling of Medicine at its most medicinal. There are some physicians who happen to be true healers just as there are some natural healers who happen to be physicians. Given his moral clarity, his passionate adherence to simple and elementary decency, his noble altruism and abiding sense of obligation to the poor and needy, it was inevitable despite his obvious disdain for hustling and aversion for self-promotion that he would attract attention at the highest quarters.
Legend has it that he was once offered appointment at the highest level of his calling. But when his questioning became too intrusive and invasive, it led to a protest by his mentor and potential benefactor, Professor Ladipo Akinkugbe, the imperious and aristocratic Ondo-born medical avatar, who wondered whether the young man was going for national service or national inquisition. The offer fell through. In the event, the nation’s loss was the gain of The Nation. But no matter the condition and circumstances, you cannot hide a star under a bushel. Marinho will be missed by his teeming readers and admirers. May his tribe continue to grow.
Reinventing our democratic culture is the main thing
Lawmakers in the National Assembly (NASS) are reported to be pushing for constitutional changes by which all election petitions will be concluded before poll winners are sworn into office henceforth. The joint National Assembly Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution seeks amendments that will shorten the timelines for exhausting election litigation, such that poll winners won’t be encumbered by legal challenges against their mandate by the time they take the inaugural oath.
The joint committee proposes a 60-day period for disposing election petitions at the tribunal level, and another 60 days for disposing appeals arising from the judgment of the lower tribunal in all post-election matters.
By its recommendations, the Supreme Court is to assume original jurisdiction in all petitions arising from the conduct of the presidential elections, while jurisdiction in governorship petitions resides with the Court of Appeal.
These proposals are contained in 44 bills harmonised and agreed upon by the joint committee, and they constitute the first batch of prioritised constitution alteration bills presented at plenary sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives for debate.
The lawmakers propose an amendment to Section 232 of the 1999 Constitution to stipulate that “the Supreme Court shall, to the exclusion of any other court of law in Nigeria, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to whether (a) any person has been validly elected to the office of President or Vice President under this Constitution, (b) the term of office of the President or Vice President has ceased, or (c) the office of President or Vice President has become vacant.”
The amendment to the section also provides: “In the hearing and determination of any election petition under subsection (1A), the Supreme Court shall be duly constituted if it consists of at least five justices of the Supreme Court. In every presidential election petition, the Supreme Court shall deliver its judgement in writing within 60 days of filing of the suit.”
An alteration is as well proposed to Section 239 to provide: “(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Court of Appeal shall, to the exclusion of any other court of law in Nigeria, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to whether: (a) any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy Governor under this constitution; (b) the terms of office of the governor or deputy governor has ceased; or (c) the office of governor or deputy governor has become vacant.” It also stipulates: “In every governorship election petition, the Court of Appeal shall deliver its judgement in writing within 60 days of filing the suit.”
The joint committee also seeks amendment to Section 286, which prescribes the time for determination of pre-election matters, establishment of an election tribunal and the time for determination of election petitions. It proposes altering sub-section 6 by curtailing the timeline for disposing election petitions from 180 days currently prescribed to 60 days, to wit: “An election tribunal shall deliver its judgement in writing within 60 days from the date of filing of the petition.”
Similarly, sub-section 7 is to be altered to read: “An appeal from the decision of an election tribunal or court in an election petition shall be heard and disposed of by the Court of Appeal within 60 days from the date of filing the appeal.”
Pre-election matters are to also be disposed of within 60 days from the date of filing the suit, while appeals in all pre-election matters are to be disposed of within 30 days from the date of filing the appeal.
This latest push by lawmakers recalibrates an earlier effort by which they proposed fixing election dates six months ahead of the expiration of tenures, just so to allow ample time for conclusion of all petitions arising from polls before the May 29, 2027 inauguration of new tenures.
The legislators had proposed the change as part of draft amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 tabled at a one-day public hearing jointly organised by the Senate and House of Representatives committees on electoral matters in Abuja in October 2025.
Under the proposed electoral act amendment bill, elections into the office of the President and state governors are to be held not later than 185 days before the expiration of the tenure of the last holder of respective offices, which would have made the polls fall in November 2026 – some six months before the end of the current administration’s tenure, as against the schedule that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has drawn up for national elections to hold in February 2027 and state elections a fortnight later.
By the same token, the lawmakers proposed that elections for federal and state legislative seats be held not later than 185 days before the date on which each of the houses stands dissolved.
In justifying the proposals, the chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Adebayo Balogun, said at the time that the amendment would help prevent a situation where court cases linger after persons declared to have won elections had assumed office. “We are proposing that all election litigations be concluded before the swearing-in of declared winners,” he explained.
To achieve the goal, it wasn’t only the election schedule that was recommended for adjustment, but also the litigation timeframe. Balogun said NASS planned to amend Sections 285 and 139 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to shorten timelines for election petitions – that is, reducing tribunal judgments from 180 to 90 days, while appellate and Supreme Court decisions should take 60 days rather than 90 days presently stipulated. Bottom line, according to him, is ensuring that the entire judicial process does not exceed 185 days precedent to inauguration date.
Lawmakers at the October forum, however, noted that amendment of legal frameworks alone might not suffice unless the judiciary is strengthened to handle the volume of election cases.
Legal analysts have also warned that shortening judicial timelines must not come at the expense of justice.
We have always argued that the idea of exhausting election cases before inauguration is welcome because elected leaders could assume office without the cloud of litigation hanging over them – a significant and practical step towards democratic maturity.
Besides, the present setup allows office holders to exploit incumbency to their advantage; for instance, they’ve been accused of using public funds to fight private petitions.
But the real challenge, in our view, isn’t timelines; it is rather the political culture of bad sportsmanship showing in extreme litigiousness of poll losers. In the words of a ranking lawmaker, it isn’t just about changing dates, “it is about changing the culture of our democracy from one of perpetual contestation to one of closure, confidence and credibility.”
When the thought of writing this piece popped into my head, the title that popped into my head with it was The ugly American because I was going to anchor it on Graham Greene’s iconic novel. It was only when I tried to find some information with which to refresh my memory about the book that I found that I had, at least in my mind conflated the title with another book which incidentally, I have never read but which I have always believed was an apt description of the American depicted in that ageless Graham Greene classic, The quiet American. In deference to Graham Greene, I changed the title of my article to The Quiet American even if the adjective that first popped into my mind was the one on the title page of the other book.
In December of 1982, I was passing through Heathrow airport and as was my habit at the time, I popped into WH Smith, the dedicated bookseller to travelers in train stations and airports throughout the length and breadth of Britain. I went in to browse through the books on display and found that for some reason which I no longer remember the bookshop was celebrating the extremely rare, if not singular genius of Graham Greene. The sight of all his books on display flew to my head like potent liquor. Goaded by this sight, I rushed around the display in the manner of a country yokel come to town, picking up books as if I could not believe the evidence of my eyes and feared that the books were liable to go up in smoke right before my eyes. Such was my admiration for Greene that in the end I took a selection of six books to the cashier whose eyebrows shot up in a surge of emotion when she found that all the six books I had put before her, had been written by, as far as I was concerned, the incomparable Graham Greene.
In those heady days when paperbacks cost less than a couple of quid and we had not yet been crushed by the yoke of foreign exchange, I paid up with the flourish of a man with a lot of money in his purse and left the shop with a spring in my step. I then went on to find a convenient spot from whereI immediately started to read one of the books I had just purchased. With my head in one of my recently purchased books, I waited almost unconcernedly for my flight to be called. It must be clear to my reader by now that Greene is one of my all time favourite authors. As a well brought up Anglican in those days, my response to Greene’s obviously Roman Catholic themes was one of considerable bewilderment but I soon overcame this feeling when I came to realise that religion came with such a personal feeling that it could be regarded as binding only to those who are moved to express an opinion on any subject connected with it. The rest of us are free to interpret any message to fit our own belief or lack of it. I thus came to a liberating conclusion which allowed me to communicate effectively with Greene and even be one with him on many occasions.
The American depicted as the quiet American in Greene’ s book was far uglier than quiet but at the same time quite quintessentially American. He was quiet alright, after all, he was a spy. But beyond that, he was earnest, idealistic, well intentioned but naive to the point of stupidity thereby giving proof of his genuine American identity.
For well over a century, the USA has been a land of opportunity for people from all over the globe. Her educational institutions have attracted the brightest talents from all over the world and her scientists have crossed frontiers of knowledge in many different directions. They have conquered space and landed several men on the moon for good measure and even now they are talking realistically of the possibility of colonizing Mars in the near future. American technology drives the world in many areas and their search engines keep us in touch with all forms of knowledge in every aspect of human endeavour.
Away from knowledge, the Americans keep all the world entertained with their music, films of all genrés and modern dance. In various sporting arenas, American performers keep the rest of the world thrilled with their superlative performances just as their writers have weaved veritable magic in their offerings to the muses. In other words, the Americans are collectively the salt of the earth. That is, however, as long as they keep their mouths shut and are quiet. Just get any everyday run of the mill American to open their mouth however and you will be bowled over by the filth which proceeds therefrom.
Almost immediately, you will be gratuitously informed that Americans are the freest people on earth. Not only that, their President is the leader of the free world whatever that means. Just as you are trying to process this because you know the USA has the highest number of people incarcerated per capita in the world, you will be told that every American has the constitutional right of free speech through the First Amendment whilst the Second Amendment gives every full blooded American the right to bear arms and to use them as they seem fit. You immediately see why somewhere everyday that the country is blessed with, at least one person goes off his head and shoots at least a few people quite randomly. You think for all their vaunted intelligence they would put some check on gun ownership in place but no, gun makers, sellers and users spend millions of dollars to ensure that legislation to control the ownership of guns never gets passed.
Everything considered, the US is an ocean liner floating on a sea of paradoxes. On top of the American pile are a few thousand billionaires. In case you are wondering, those are people who have at least a thousand million dollars to their name and they are still busily engaged in all kinds of deals, a healthy proportion on the shady side, to make even more money. In the meantime there are millions of Americans who have nowhere to lay their head in the depth of winter and are constantly wondering where their next meal is coming from or when.
There are many interesting stats associated with the USA right about now but none of them is more important than the 40 trillion dollars which that country owes to the rest of the world. This means that the leader of the free world is by far the largest debtor nation in the world and it is clear that she lacks the capacity to pay back any of it soon, if ever. Instead of even thinking about paying her creditors the US government under Trump is holding the rest of the world to ransom using the over-equipped American armed forces as a weapon of mass of extraction of resources from other parts of the world. If the quiet American epitomises the the good American, that garrulous fellow in the White House can only be described as the ugly American as described by Graham Greene.
