The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Mental revolution as panacea

    Mental revolution as panacea

    It is a long way to Hosanna after twenty six years of civilian rule with the nation still hobbled by the foundational crisis of ethnic discord, spiritual polarization, genocidal claims, institutional anomie so pronounced that every facet of human relationship based on trust and mutual understanding appears to have broken down. It did not begin yesterday. As colonized and enslaved people, the institutions handed down by our colonial masters to superintend our transition to political and economic modernity have not proved efficacious. Africa has been stranded in a political and economic limbo.  Perceptive African leaders, such as Kwame Nkrumah,  Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Obafemi Awolowo, Amilcar Cabral and Samora Michel  who saw through the ruse were rendered hors de combat.

      Yet as we may be discovering very late in the day, there can be no viable democracy or irreversible economic growth without durable institutions. It is impossible to sustain economic growth within the context of institutional chaos and disorder. Economies do not grow if they are subject to conflicting sets of laws and precepts, one set meant for the public and the other for the Caudillo and his minions. The protracted face-off between Jerome Powell, the plucky chairman of the American Federal Reserve and President Donald Trump shows just how durable institutions work.  Following rigid institutional guidelines, Mr Powell has resisted Trump’s repeated attempts to fire him or make him bend the rule according to his whims and caprices. It is a triumph of the institutional order against the caprices of human agency.

    So, just what are institutions? Institutions are products of repeated actions, routines, habits, rules of engagements  burnt into the human consciousness  or what the French call repete geste from where they solidify into a set of subliminal precepts which serve as infallible guides to future actions. They then proceed to regulate the affairs of humanity with impersonal rigour and stern orderliness which brooks no human deviance or authoritarian deviousness.

    African political elites have shown that they lack the mental magnitude, the steely discipline and the nationalistic self-sacrifice to produce the institutional framework for the postcolonial order in Africa. When President George Washington, hero of the American war of liberation and founding president, declined the call on him to continue  as American president on the ground that an America that had seen off the feudal order in Europe cannot afford to have a presidential monarch, he was laying the ground for institutional validity and order  which has remained in force till date.

      You cannot plant cassava and expect to harvest yam. In almost all western countries that have transited successfully from the ashes of feudal Europe to political and economic modernity, the political revolution is always preceded by a mental revolution. The English long revolution was aided by the copious outpouring of John Locke and his theory of the social contract, Hobbes by his notion of an ever looming Leviathan; the French by Rousseau, Voltaire and Descartes; the Germans by Emmanuel Kant, Hegel, Feuerbach, Nietzsche and the Americans by the huge tomes of what has come to be known as the Federalist papers which laid the foundation of the modern American presidency. With the possible honorable exception of Ibn Khaldun, the great fifteenth century Egyptian philosopher, historian and social theorist, Africa contributed nothing to this global flux and ferment. It may well be that the intellectual labours of past African heroes have been permanently sealed in the catacombs of cremated memorabilia.

      What you don’t know does not hurt you. But it can haunt you. The inability of Africans to come up with an intellectual organogram has left the continent floundering in a septic lagoon of waste and political refuse. This is why a mental revolution is a precondition for Africa’s cultural, political, spiritual and economic emancipation. Jurassic Age African potentates who routinely flout the prescribed term limits for their inglorious tenure are unaware of the monumental impact of their folly on the institutional order of their stricken nations.  Even where they succeed, they have already triggered off a constitutional impasse which will make for a vicious, violent finale.

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    To appreciate the institutional vacuum in which Africa’s postcolonial epoch operates, we must take one final historical excursion. After the cessation of serial colonial conquest and harassments during which its people suffered untold indignities and humiliation, the Chinese reverted to their native Confucianism which is an all-embracing philosophy of life and just governance. It has proved superior to western liberal theology in its impersonal rigour and merciless rationalism.  There is zero tolerance for corruption and official malfeasance. Thieves are routinely executed. There is no room for political shenanigans. Even Mao’s widow, a decorated heroine of the Chinese Revolution in her own right, found out too late in the day. She was packed to prison never to be heard of again. Men are hanged not because horses are stolen but so that horses cannot be stolen. Today, imperial and imperious China scoffs at the western system with the contempt and condescension it thinks its former tormentors deserve.

    Let us end with the mightiest elephant in the commodious room of Africa’s postcolonial void. How is Africa in general and Nigeria in particular going to handle the nation-state paradigm imposed on the world by the Peace of Westphalia as it goes into terminal decline and reverse gear? For about a decade now,  we have been warning about the fraying at the edges of the nation-state paradigm. We had no foreknowledge of how it will happen or who the instigator will be. America and Donald Trump have supplied the missing grist to the rumination. Nigeria has already fallen to the global sledgehammer which makes nonsense of the founding tenet of the peace of Westphalia: the inviolability of every nation and the non-negotiability of its sovereignty.

       Mr Trump has made a short shrift of this charter. Nations that have refused to correct internal disorder will be subject to international  order in accordance with the Gospel According to Donald Trump. It is no longer a question of like or dislike or a moral or ethical issue. Mr Trump will have his way unless a superior charter suddenly supervenes. As Iran dissolves into apocalyptic chaos, the American strongman has vowed that he is loaded and locked, primed to unleash. This was exactly as it happened centuries ago when superior French artillery put paid to the notion of Italian city-states. Before our very eyes, America is redrawing the world map. Venezuela has been ringed in, and it is only a question of time before the collapse of the government of Nicolas Maduro. As we send this off, rumours swirl about that Caracas has fallen.

    Other global powers are following. Russia is going to end up gobbling a huge chunk of Ukrainian territory in a redress of the geopolitical catastrophe Putin said had befallen his nation. China has announced a commencement of exercises close to Taiwanese waters.   African thinkers and philosophers must now add the nation-state declension to their shopping trolley. Otherwise, it may be the Berlin Conference of 1884/ 1885 once again. Happy new year to all our readers.

  • Feedback

    Feedback

    We have received an unusual volume of traffic in connection with last week’s piece. In Defence of Guerrilla Journalism. Samples:

    Good morning sir. I just read your piece entitled , In Defence of Guerrilla Journalism, a sizzling offering and never-put-it-down-until-the-last-full –stop article in The Nation on Sunday. A great outing as usual: deep, scholarly, reflective and sharp excursion into the Nigeria’s past when paradox practically governed the polity. Well done sir. E e pe fun wa sir. —-Wole Olugboji.

    Just finished reading your usually seminal article, In Defence of Guerrilla Journalism. I goggled “Guerrilla Journalism” and below is what I found. Most heartwarming to confirm what you wrote that it emerged in Nigeria. Thanks very, very much. Context-Specific.

    Famously emerged in Nigeria as an underground response to severe government repression, becoming a vital tool for resistance.  It’s a form of journalism that fights for a story, using unconventional, often defiant methods to report the truth when traditional channels fail or are compromised, though it carries the burden of balancing impact with integrity. INTERNET WED, 31 December, 2025. Venerable Feyisola Famutimi.

    When I saw the picture of Stanley Macebuh headlining your article, I smiled happily to myself thinking that you have not come to bury Caesar but to praise and panegyrise him. Beyond his stellar role in the founding of  The Guardian newspaper, which loves to posture as Nigeria’s flagship newspaper……Whatever you might say of the writer, you must concede that he’s one of the finest users of the English language and his understanding of African Literature is non pareil. It is fitting, then, that in the epic crossfire between you and the retrograde regime, the deep called to the deep, otherwise the warfare would have been asymmetrical. As Soyinka wonders in “Idanre”: do we summon the aid of a boulder to kill an ant? Granted a comprehensive background was necessary for countering a Ray Ekpu revisionism, but the extreme back-pedalling into the prehistory of journalism in colonial Victorian Lagos, nay, Nigeria seems a tad an overkill, if not an overwrought study in selective reportage. The present absence of Zik’s West African Pilot as a hub of anti-colonial  rallying cry and an agora of autochthonous Afrocentrism gives cause for concern, particularly coming from the bristling stylus of one normally reputed to be a voice of moral suasion and historical gravitas. Only enforced amnesia could mollify the miffed, in this instance. Again, considering the whirligig of fate, we are reminded of Sophocles’ quip about the open-endedness of personal identity until death puts paid to one’s life’s peregrination. On this Bayo Onanuga is exemplary: a guerrilla journalist of yesteryear and ponce of power today…….Not many of your readers would share  your optimism about the present climate of democratic expansiveness of leadership. If anything people in Nigeria are still being policed and monitored by overzealous  agents and sundry agent-provocateurs. The times call for the focused and ceaseless grunt work of underground penmanship. Finally, Ray Ekpu: I guess it’s only the autumnal patriarch that might disclose what riles him; reason(s) for his unreasonable put-down of guerrilla journalists of the past and present……Perhaps he needs another occasion to right this wrong just so as to re-center himself in popular imaginary. Welcome back again—Former student now a professor.

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    Your homily today is not only fire for fife, it lays bare the raison d’etre for the concept and practice of guerrilla journalism in Nigeria. Let me correct one impression. My Oga, Stanly Macebuh was a later day convert to orthodox liberal political thought. He could have been influenced by the daily imbibing of fine cognac and cigar in the office of the then managing director…… Stanley changed when he went to the Guardian and became a bourgeoisie when he went to the private papers of Baba Odogwu and later Sentinel of Yar’adua. As you rightly wrote what became of the great writers of The News?—- IBJ, Olonade Street, Lagos.

  • U.S. charges Venezuelan president, wife with drug trafficking after invasion

    U.S. charges Venezuelan president, wife with drug trafficking after invasion

    • We’ll run the country, Trump vows
    • Russia, Iran, US Democrats, others flay attack

    The United States is to run the affairs of Venezuela in the interim after American troops yesterday invaded the country and seized President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia.

    The couple were ripped from bed while asleep.

    They were subsequently flown to Washington DC to await trial for Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.

    The United Nations (UN) and many allies and antagonists of the US were alarmed by Washington’s capture of the president of a sovereign country.

    Democrats in the US Congress were outraged by the development which they branded illegal and unconstitutional.

    They accused Trump of by passing the legislature by waging war on another country.

    The influential New York Times took a similar position, calling it illegal and unwise in an editorial.

    Venezuela’s defence minister Vladimir López accused the US of “criminal military aggression” against his country.

    López, who spoke in a video shared on social media, described the attack as “the most criminal military aggression by the US government in North America”.

    But the ouster of Maduro seems to be good news to Venezuelans who had fled their country following the security challenge and economic hardship at home.

    President Donald Trump told reporters yesterday that his administration would take over Venezuela to ensure a judicious transition.

    “We can’t take a chance if someone else takes over Venezeula that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind,” he said.

     “We’re not going to let that happen.”

    He didn’t specify how long the US would stay in Venezeula.

    “We’re going to run it, essentially,” he said.

    The Maduros were captured by a unit of elite Delta Force soldiers while they slept in their beds.

    The operation took place in five Venezuelan sites including three in the country’s capital Caracas.

    Although the US authorities said no one died in the operation, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab said ‘innocents’ had been ‘mortally wounded’ by the US troops.

    On their arrival in the US, the Maduros were taken to the USS Iwo Jima assault ship pending their transfer to New York City.

    Trump called the operation ‘brilliant’ and said he had watched it live.

    He even shared a photo of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima on social media.

    In the image Maduro wore blackout goggles and a grey sweatshirt.

    He also appeared to be strapped to a flotation device and held a water bottle.

    In the days leading up to the invasion, the US had readied military vessels, aircraft and personnel around Venezuela.

    In an apparent move to patch up with the White House, Maduro on Thursday issued a plea for peace to the United States.

    “The American people should know they have a friendly, peaceful people here, and a friendly government as well,” he said in an interview with a Spanish journalist.

    He added: “they should know that our message is very clear: ‘Not War. Yes Peace’”, and offered to work with the US to curtail drug trafficking.

    Trump had accused Maduro and his government of conspiring to flood the United States with illegal drugs.

    In 2020, during his first term in office as president Trump indicted Maduro on charges of importing cocaine into the US and offered a $15million reward for his arrest at the time.

    The reward went up to $25million during the final days of former President Joe Biden’s administration and rose $50million in August 2025 after Trump began his second term as president.

    Trump alleges Maduro is leader of a drug running organization called Cartel de los Soles and has designated the group a foreign terrorist organization.

    In his final public act as President, Maduro on Friday received in his Miraflores Palace in Caracas China’s special envoy Qiu Xiaoqi.

    Both men reaffirmed bilateral ties amid U.S. pressure.

    US Attorney General Pam Bondi in a post on her verified X account @AGPamBondi yesterday said Maduro “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

    She said: “Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.

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    “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.”

    UN, Russia, Iran, others kick

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes on Venezuela, which he said could constitute a dangerous precedent.

    He said that the rules of international law had not been respected and asked all actors in Venezuela to “engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.”

    Russia condemned the “armed aggression” by the United States with the ministry of foreign affairs in Moscow warning that the development risked further destabilising the region.

    It called for an urgent diplomatic response.

    It said: “The justifications put forward for these actions have no factual basis. Ideological hostility has prevailed over pragmatic, businesslike approaches and over efforts to build relationships based on trust and predictability.

    “Under the present circumstances, it is particularly important to prevent any further escalation and focus on seeking a resolution through dialogue.

    ”We believe that all parties with existing grievances should pursue solutions to their problems by engaging in dialogue. We stand ready to assist in these efforts.”

    Russia said Latin America should continue to be treated as a zone of peace, in line with a declaration adopted by countries in the region in 2014 and declared that Venezuela must be allowed to “determine its own future without destructive external interference, particularly of a military nature”.

    It expressed political support for the Venezuelan government and people.

    Iran which Trump bombed last year spoke along the same line.

    The Iranian foreign ministry dubbed the US action a flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Venezuela.

    China said it was “deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president”.

    US neighbor, Mexico, said the development in Venezuela “seriously jeopardises regional stability.”

    Trump has also threatened Mexico with military force over drug trafficking.

    Venezuela’s southern neighbor, Colombia, called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis while Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva deplored the “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty.

    Cuba, a strong ally of Venezuela’s, denounced “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people”.

    France similarly condemned the US operation which it said undermined international law.

    The United Kingdom,a strong ally of the US said it was not a party to the invasion. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said all countries should “uphold international law.”

    The European Union (EU) urged respect for international law although it claimed that Maduro “lacks legitimacy.”

    However, Trump got the backing of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who said the US action was both legitimate and defensive.

    Spain called for de-escalation and restraint while also offering to mediate in the crisis to find a way to a peaceful solution.

    The New York Times, in its editorial, said Maduro’s undemocratic and repressive rule was no justification for the invasion of his country by the US.

    “Attempting to oust even the most deplorable regime can make matters worse,” the newspaper said.

    It added: “The United States spent 20 years failing to create a stable government in Afghanistan and replaced a dictatorship in Libya with a fractured state. The tragic consequences of the 2003 war in Iraq continue to beset America and the Middle East. Perhaps most relevant, the United States has sporadically destabilized Latin American countries, including Chile, Cuba, Guatemala and Nicaragua, by trying to oust a government through force.

    “Mr. Trump has not yet offered a coherent explanation for his actions in Venezuela. He is pushing our country toward an international crisis without valid reasons. If Mr. Trump wants to argue otherwise, the Constitution spells out what he must do: Go to Congress. Without congressional approval, his actions violate U.S. law.

    “The nominal rationale for the administration’s military adventurism is to destroy ‘narco-terrorists.’ Governments throughout history have labeled the leaders of rival nations as terrorists, seeking to justify military incursions as policing operations. The claim is particularly ludicrous in this case, given that Venezuela is not a meaningful producer of fentanyl or the other drugs that have dominated the recent epidemic of overdoses in the United States, and the cocaine that it does produce flows mostly to Europe. While Mr. Trump has been attacking Venezuelan boats, he also pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, who ran a sprawling drug operation when he was president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022.”

    Former Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti and  Professor of International Relations Kayode Soremekun, and Director of Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof.  Efem Ubi, condemned the arrest of President Maduro and his wife by the Americans.

    Reacting about the arrest in an interview with The Nation, Professor Soremekun said Maduro’s capture “speaks to what can be called the current near unipolarity of the international system.

    “This is because such a situation would not have been possible during the Cold War. But I’ve just read the announcement from the Venezuelan authorities, and they went into history to say that they’ve always had to contend with this big neighbour, i.e. Washington.

    “And that is, according to them, the latest in the offensives of Washington in what can be called its backyard.

    “It is also a reenactment of what can be called the Monroe Doctrine, whereby the U.S. simply sees its neighbours as puppets, as non-entities to be toyed with at will, which is a non-liberal order. Having said that, you also have to appreciate that in recent times, Venezuela has always been disposed towards Cuba, an arch-enemy of Washington. So, this is only to be expected under a post-Cold War warrior like Donald Trump.

    “As it is, since in relative terms, there are no dynamics to this kind of offensive from Washington, because in an earlier era, the former Soviet Union would have been saying some things about what has just happened.

    “And what it also means is that the only competing power to the United States at the moment, i.e. China, will now be free in relative terms to also annex Taiwan. So, you can see a game of hegemonies on the part of Washington on one hand, and Beijing, that is China, in the potential sense.”

    The don argued that what was seen with Maduro’s experience was also a relative recession and near-death of multilateral diplomacy, “because in the light of this unilateral offensive from Washington, one begins to ask, where is the United Nations? Where is the NAM, i.e. the Non-Aligned Movement? Where is the OAS, the Organisation of American States?” He submitted that what it means is that, for now at least, multilateral diplomacy is in recession.
    “This undermines the sovereignty of Venezuela and its territorial integrity. In fact, it has also shown that we need a reform of the United Nations. We actually need a new organisation that will be able to maintain order.
    “A country cannot just wake up and now invade another country, capture the president, and take the president to their own country. We cannot continue to live in a world where a single power is depicted as the ultimate, regardless of circumstances or international law in place.
    “They don’t care. All they think about is their interests. If it means crushing heads, even if it means undermining states and their territorial integrity. This is truly uncalled for.”
    Prof. Ubi argued that in the 21st century, the world should begin to think differently.
    He added: “I think my take is that we should begin to look for an alternative world order where there can be justice, there can be equity, there can be respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not for just one power to rise and determine what should be in the international order. And so, multipolarity still stands out in our thinking of a new world order. Multilateralism should be ultimate in terms of our engagement with the international community.
    “Let the people of Venezuela be the ones to change the regime, and not for one country to come cease the President by taking him to the United States. This is uncalled for.”

    Prof. Ubi argued that in the 21st century, the world should begin to think differently.

    According to him, the world is reacting that what the United States did was totally wrong.

    He added: “I think my take is that we should begin to look for an alternative world order where there can be justice, there can be equity, there can be respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not for just one power to rise up and determine what should be in the international order. And so, multipolarity still stands out in our thinking of a new world order. Multilateralism also stands in terms of our engagement with the international community.

    “Let the people of Venezuela be the ones to change the regime, and not for you to come tease the President by taking him to the United States. This is uncalled for.”

  • 974 Nigerians awaits deportation from Canada

    974 Nigerians awaits deportation from Canada

    • …366 deported in 10months in 2025

    No fewer than 974 Nigerians are awaiting deportation in Canada, it was learnt.

    They are said to be currently in the “removal-in-progress” queue, awaiting deportation.

    The Canadian authorities deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025.

    About 83% of those deported are failed refugee claimants, while criminality accounts for roughly 4%. Under Canadian law, anyone with an enforceable removal order must be deported.

    Outside the United Kingdom and the United States, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians, with over 71,000 Nigerians gaining citizenship between 2005 and 2024, and thousands more arriving yearly as students, workers, and permanent residents.

    Data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), showed that Nigeria is the only African country on the list of 10 nationalities deported in 2025 occupying the ninth position.

     It also placed fifth among nationalities awaiting removal.

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    The 2025 figure marks a sharp increase after Nigeria dropped out of the top 10 in 2023 and 2024, and represents an 8% increase over 2019.

    Canada is carrying out an aggressive nationwide crackdown. Canada now deports nearly 400 people weekly, removing 18,048 foreign nationals in the 2024–2025 fiscal year at a cost of about $78 million.

    Authorities say the push is aimed at tightening immigration targets and easing pressure on housing, jobs, and border security, backing the effort with an extra $30.5 million for removals and $1.3 billion for border enforcement.

    Immigration lawyers warn deportations could rise further if Bill C-12 is passed, potentially imposing permanent bans on some refugee claims.

  • Wike to Ateke Tom: Stay out of Rivers politics

    Wike to Ateke Tom: Stay out of Rivers politics

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Saturday, advised the traditional ruler and the first Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom to stay out of Rivers politics.

     Wike gave the advice when he visited the king’s palace as part of his ‘thank you visit’ to the Okrika Local Government Area.

     The minister who has been moving around the LGAs informed the monarch that political activities would soon commence in the state, adding that he wants the traditional ruler to keep his kingdom peaceful.

     Wike said decisions had already been taken on what to do concerning the burning issues in the state.

     He emphasised that he visited the traditional ruler due to his personal relationship with the monarch as a friend.

    I’ll not allow myself to be buried politically – Minister

     While also addressing the people of Okrika, Wike disturbed with the current political situation in the state, vowed to resist any attempt to be buried politically, adding that: “Because, if you make another mistake, then go and bury yourself politically, I will not allow myself to be buried. I will not allow mistakes again. So, everybody should know. We have made a decision”.

     Wike said, “Why we came is to thank our people who have supported us all this time. The people of Okrika, the people of the Ijaw nation, have supported us very well, and so I felt that it would be good to thank them for their support. We don’t take their support for granted; we are very grateful people.

     “We will soon start politics. I didn’t say you should be involved; don’t be involved. Allow us to play our politics, and stay as traditional ruler. I don’t want anybody to say tomorrow you are putting your hand, don’t put your hands.

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     “But that does not mean that you don’t have anybody you support in your heart, but allow us to play our game. If there’s any problem, you call us, we will settle, but I want to tell you that it will not be business as usual again.

     “All of us have made a decision on what to do. I believe those of them who are your children will tell you the decision we have taken, just for your ears, not for you to participate. You are my friend. Thank you for maintaining peace in your kingdom. When I was governor, Okrika was one of the local government communities. We hardly hear of any crisis, so it is because of your style of governance, and I want to assure you to continue to maintain that style so that your place will be at peace.

     “Any traditional ruler who cannot keep his place united is not worthy to be a traditional ruler.”

     Wike, who had earlier addressed the Okrika people, thanked the people for their support and for standing firm with Tinubu.

     He described Tinubu as a man who keeps his promise, and urged the people of Okrika to continue to support people with good and trusted character.

     Wike said, “I thank you for returning the chairman of the council. God used Mr President to make sure that local government elections took place. Without Mr President, it would have been difficult. The illegalities that were perpetrated have been corrected. I thank God you have taken back our council.

     “So many people say, oh, it’s not good with the Ijaw people. I am good with the Ijaw people. I am good with the Okrika people. But if there is one person who does not want development, I would not be good with that person. So if I have a personal problem with you, come and face me. Don’t say it is the Okrika people. Don’t say it is the Ijaw people. Face me.

     “If you don’t have the strength to face us, go and sleep. Don’t bring everybody. Those who said we didn’t do anything here, they will never see good in their life. I have come here several times to flag off and commission projects. Particularly in Okochiri, so people should tell the truth. I awarded the contract to reclaim land for your people. It was given to your son. What is the result today?

     “We saw Mr President as somebody who keeps to his agreement. Look at what Mr President is doing today. The enviable work he has done here. The number of appointments. The number of appointments given to the people of Ijaw land, the number of appointments given to the people of Rivers State, is unprecedented in the history of Rivers State. They say the lion does not die. But this one lion has died.”

     “And that is why you must vote for people who have character. You must vote for people so that you can go home and sleep with your two eyes closed. We have made a mistake in the state. We won’t kill ourselves. But we will correct the mistake this time.

     “Some people are calling you people foolish people. Are you people foolish? Are you stupid? We are not. So, I want to assure you here. That we are working together. There’s nothing like a party here.

     “It is the Renewed Hope family. Renewed Hope, what? Family. If you are not a member of this family, we will face you in the field. We will face you in the battle. So, let nobody bother himself. We will do what you know how to do. They have not seen anything yet.

    Ijaw People’s Congress backs Wike for 2027

    The Rivers Ijaw People’s Congress also used the event to denounce support for Governor Similalaye Fubara.

     They pledged allegiance to Wike.

     Chairman of the congress, Senator George Sekibo, who announced the group’s decision, described the latest conflict between Fubara and Wike as ‘unfortunate’.

     He, however, noted that the Ijaw people are grateful.

     Sekibo recalled how the minister supported the emergence of Fubara, an Ijaw son, as governor of Rivers State and was widely supported by the people across the state.

     He said, “Please don’t look at him and think we are all ungrateful people. Ijaw people are very grateful people.

     “That is why we abandoned him (Fubara) and said we will follow you. You have done so much for the Ijaw people in Rivers. Whatever you say we should do, is what we will do.”

     Sekibo assured Wike of the support of the Ijaw people and pledged complete loyalty to President Bola Tinubu.

     He said, “We are grateful people, and that is why we are following you. We will not leave you because you have been there for us.”

     Chairman of Okrika Local Government Council, Akuro Tobin, earlier described Wike as his political godfather.

     Tobin said the minister equally supported many sons and daughters of the area to occupy various political offices, both elective and appointed.

     He assured the minister that the men, women and youths of the LGA are solidly behind him and Tinubu.

     Speaking on behalf of Okrika women, Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, representing Okrika Constituency, Mrs Linda Stewart, also said Wike’s support for women was unprecedented, and prayed for him to succeed in all his endeavours.

     Wike, while addressing the Okrika people, applauded them for their support and for standing firm with Tinubu.

     He described Tinubu as a man who keeps fulfilling ‘agreement’, and urged the people of Okrika to continue to support people with good and trusted character.

  • Police arrest mother, son over alleged conspiracy, money ritual

    Police arrest mother, son over alleged conspiracy, money ritual

    The operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have apprehended a mother and her son for allegedly attempting to use a 10-year-old boy for money ritual purposes.

    The suspects, identified as Maria, 53, and her son, Adewale, 28, were arrested in Ile-Oluji, the headquarters of Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of the state.

     The victim was rescued by operatives of the Police SWAT Tactical Team, while the suspects were taken into custody.

     Police sources said the duo allegedly confessed to engaging the services of an herbalist for the ritual.

     Confirming the incident in a release, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Jimoh Abayomi, said the planned ritual was foiled following a tip-off from a concerned member of the public.

    He explained that operatives swung into action immediately after the report was received, leading to the rescue of the child, who was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical attention.

    Read Also: Police confirm abduction of medical doctor in Edo

    According to Abayomi, preliminary investigations revealed that Maria allegedly conspired with her son to use the victim for a money ritual. He added that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

    Commending the operatives for their swift response, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Adebowale Lawal, emphasised the importance of intelligence-led policing in crime prevention and reassured residents of the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.

     The police boss also appreciated the support of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun,  noting that ongoing reforms and technological innovations were improving policing efficiency across the state.

    Lawal advised parents, especially mothers, to shun criminal activities and serve as positive role models for their children.

     He also warned against the “get-rich-quick” mentality, urging parents to instil the values of hard work and integrity.

     He further called on members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies, stressing that collective responsibility is key to achieving a safer society.

  • No investment in education is a gamble — Shettima

    No investment in education is a gamble — Shettima

    • Ooni of Ife installed as Chancellor, Zulum announces jobs, scholarships
    • Kashim Ibrahim varsity graduates 2,294 students

    Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday said no investment in education is ever a gamble, describing the sector as a deliberate commitment to securing a better and more prosperous future for Nigeria.

    Speaking at the combined convocation ceremonies of Kashim Ibrahim University in Maiduguri, Borno State, where 2,294 students graduated across the 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions, the Vice President said education remains the most powerful tool for development, economic empowerment and societal liberation.

     According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said “no investment in education is ever a gamble. It is a conscious plan for a better, more secure future”.

    He urged the graduating students to see themselves as ambassadors of integrity, service and excellence, stressing that their conduct would define the reputation of the young institution.

    “Wherever life takes you, you carry the name and values of Kashim Ibrahim University. You must shun ethical shortcuts and moral compromise,” he admonished.

     Reflecting on the North-East’s painful history, the Vice President noted that Borno State understands the consequences of neglecting education, having endured years of disruption caused by insurgency.

     “Borno has paid a heavy price for the years education was disrupted. Yet, the people chose resilience over despair and learning over loss,” he said.

     Describing the graduands as pioneers, Shettima said history has placed a special responsibility on them.

    “You are the first torchbearers of this institution. History will judge this university by what you become and how you conduct yourselves,” he added.

     The Vice President commended the academic and administrative leadership of the university, including its pioneer Vice-Chancellor, current management and staff, for laying “a solid foundation for learning in the heart of the North-East.”

    Read Also: Shettima attends wedding reception of SGF’s son in Benue

    He also praised Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, describing him as “a leader whose vision turned an idea into an enduring institution.

     “This convocation is proof that true leadership measures power by the number of lives it enlightens,” Shettima said.

    Shettima further applauded the university’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Muhammadu Indimi, for his commitment to the state, especially during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, noting that “his wealth has consistently been deployed for the good of society”.

    In a symbolic gesture, the Vice President announced the donation of two electric vehicles to support the university’s shuttle services, saying “these vehicles are a modest contribution to ease mobility within the campus and support the learning environment.”

    Earlier, Governor Zulum announced automatic employment for 81 best graduating students of the university, alongside immediate postgraduate sponsorships within and outside Nigeria.

    “Excellence must be rewarded. These young men and women have earned the confidence of the Borno State Government,” the governor said.

    The Chancellor of the university, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi II, pledged to work for the accelerated growth of the institution.

    “I accept this responsibility with humility and commitment. I will work tirelessly to advance the development of Kashim Ibrahim University,” the monarch said.

     Vice-Chancellor Prof. Babagana Gutti disclosed that the university’s ultra-modern teaching hospital, nearing completion, would be the largest and most equipped in the country.

     “When completed, our teaching hospital will stand as a national reference point for medical training and service delivery,” he said.

    Highlights of the ceremony included the installation of the Ooni of Ife as Chancellor, the conferment of honorary Doctor of Letters degrees on him and Alhaji Indimi, as well as the award of MSc and PhD scholarships to best graduating students by the Vice President.

  • Kogi community mourns as three kinsmen die, seven hospitalised after release from bandits’ captivity

    Kogi community mourns as three kinsmen die, seven hospitalised after release from bandits’ captivity

    A pall of grief has descended on Ayetoro- Kiri, a community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, following the death of three kinsmen shortly after their release from the captivity of bandits.

    It was also revealed that four other kinsmen who gained freedom from the bandits are equally in critical condition and have been hospitalised.

    The community added that a huge amount of money was paid to bandits as ransom for the release of the victims.

    The community’s spokesman, David Amupitan, also revealed that thirty (30) indigenes were still in the custody of the bandits and their fate unknown as of yesterday (Saturday).

    “The people of Ayetoro-Kiri community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State are once again plunged into grief and despair following persistent bandit attacks, official negligence, and worsening insecurity in Bunuland.

    Read Also: Youths protest killings, other criminal activities in Kogi communities

    “Recently, scores of residents were abducted by bandits. After a painful ransom payment raised through communal contributions, only seven victims were released. Sadly, three of them were already dead on arrival, while four others are currently battling for their lives in critical condition at medical facilities. About thirty innocent citizens remain in captivity, their fate uncertain.”

    The community enjoined both the state and federal governments to put in more efforts in ensuring the safety of lives and property in the Local Government Area.

    “We hereby appeal, urgently, to the Federal Government of Nigeria, security agencies, and all relevant authorities to intervene decisively in Ayetoro-Kiri and the entire Bunu district. Immediate action must be taken to rescue those still in captivity, restore security, and hold accountable all officials who enable or ignore this humanitarian tragedy. The lives of Bunu people matter. Enough is sincerely enough, “

    The spokesman for the state police command, CSP William Aya, could not be reached for comment as at press time.

  • Inferno claims six siblings in Plateau

    Inferno claims six siblings in Plateau

    Tragedy struck around old Mangu Market in Mangu local government area of Plateau state, as an inferno claimed the lives of six siblings of Malam Sanusi Maifaci’s family in the area.

    The deceased were aged between 4 months and 12 years.

    Narrating the incident, an uncle of the victims, Umar Basbangida Aliyu, said the fire incident started around 2am on Thursday when family members were already asleep.

    Aliyu explained that the deceased’s mother was badly injured and is currently receiving treatment at Allah Nakowa Hospital in Mangu town.

    Narrating further, Aliyu said, “The mother and her nine children were watching TV up to 11pm and the three males among them went to sleep and left the mother and the six children.

    Read Also: Plateau’s runners tops Prince Adewole Adebayo Christmas marathon

    He said: “We cannot categorically say the cause of the incident but all we know is there was electricity before they went to bed. Around 2:30am, we were called that fire had engulfed the house. The mother tried all she could to bring her children out of the room but couldn’t. That was why she sustained burn wounds,” he said.

    The deceased’s uncle said Governor Caleb Mutfwang and the Mangu LGA chairman had visited and sympathized with the family, adding that the governor has promised to support the family in rebuilding the house.

  • ‘Yusuf’s defection to APC shifted to involve federal lawmakers’

    ‘Yusuf’s defection to APC shifted to involve federal lawmakers’

    • Uzodimma’s visit to Otti reignites Abia gov’s move

    The planned defection of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC), initially scheduled for Monday, January 5, 2026, has been shifted to January 12.

    Even though the new date is tentative, The Nation gathered yesterday.

     The reschedule is to allow for more consultation by the governor, who was elected on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), with National Assembly lawmakers from the state and key stakeholders who are yet to fully commit to the move.

    Speculation is also rife in Abia State about the possible defection of Governor Alex Otti to the APC, following the New Year’s Day visit to him by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma.

    Uzodinma, who is the Chairman of both the APC Governors’ Forum and South East Governors’ Forum, has been credited with the recent gains of the party in the South East.

    Political sources said in Kano yesterday that state lawmakers led by Speaker Jibril Isma’il Falgore have joined the majority of the local government council chairmen who have signed the governor’s decamping document.

    The defection is part of a larger political realignment that will enable Governor Yusuf to potentially take on a significant leadership role in the state chapter of the party, and as well seal the governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

    The move, a strategic decision to strengthen the APC’s position in Kano State, has not been approved by the governor’s benefactor and national leader of the NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is speculated to be on his way to joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Yusuf’s planned defection, if it happens, will be a significant blow to the Kwankwaso-led  Kwankwasiyya Movement.

    The former governor had publicly declared that no one betrays the movement and goes free.

    The disagreement between Yusuf and Kwankwaso has already cost Hashimu Dungurawa his position as state chairman of the party.

    Dungurawa is a protégé of Kwankwaso.

    Governor Yusuf has since picked Alhaji Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya as Acting State Chairman of the NNPP in Kano State.

    The national secretariat of the party has described the change in the party’s leadership in Kano as a nullity.

    The APC is treating Yusuf’s defection move as a major political gain.

    Governor Yusuf’s defection to the APC has significant implications for Kano State politics and beyond, including stripping the NNPP of its only governorship seat and potentially reducing its influence and viability as a national party.

    Read Also: APC presents membership card to Senator Katung in Southern Kaduna

    The defection will bolster APC’s dominance in Kano and enhance its chances, including President Bola Tinubu’s, in the 2027 general elections.

     The existing power bloc of the Kano APC, led by the immediate past Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has openly expressed its readiness to work with Yusuf.

    Ganduje and the State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, have invited Governor Yusuf, urging him to feel free to join the ruling party.

    Uzodimma’s visit to Otti reignites defection speculation

     Governor Uzodimma’s visit to Governor Otti came on the heels of the recent statement by the Abia State governor that he would not join Mr Peter Obi in switching to the ADC.

    Otti was elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), the same platform on which Obi contested the 2023 presidential election.

    Otti said he would try to save the LP from going under but would consider other options if his efforts in the end yielded no positive results.

    He was originally in the APC and crossed only to the LP ahead of the last election after failing to win the APC governorship ticket.

      Uzodimma’s visit to Otti was the first since 2023.

      Uzodimma told journalists during the visit that it had nothing to do with politics.

    He said: “My visit is a courtesy call on the Governor, who I have also seen is doing very well. 

    “I wished him a happy New Year and prayed with him so that the Almighty God will give us enough strength to continue to serve our people better and better. That is why I am here.”

    The Imo State Governor said that the Southeast Governors are determined to develop the region, and would do that through collaboration.

    “We in the South East, we are determined to develop the region. And the only way we can do this is through collaboration.

     “And as the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, I have a responsibility to touch base with them, to discuss with them, share ideas, and agree on how best to help the people of the region to survive.

    “The five of us, Governors of the South East, have decided to make sure that the South East is part of Nigeria. And that is what we are working on,” Uzodimma assured.

     Uzodimma, who doubles as the Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in the South East and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, commended Governor Alex Otti for the good governance he is delivering in Abia State.

     Otti thanked his guest for the visit and explained that the visit was not politically motivated.

    He said that belonging to different political parties should not be misconstrued as opposition.

    “This is not necessarily a political visit, but because we are all politicians, there is no way we can’t discuss politics,” he said.

    “But then, I think what is most important from what he has said is that the government is one. You have the national, the sub-national, and then the local governments. And I made the point that you can’t be opposition in a government that you are part of.

    “So, when people mistake an issue of different political parties as opposition, they miss the mark. 

    “You can disagree, and there are forums for disagreement. But once a decision has been made, you are part and parcel of that decision.”