The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Relief in troubled Northcentral communities as joint efforts decimate river blindness

    Relief in troubled Northcentral communities as joint efforts decimate river blindness

    • •Plateau health official: We’ve not encountered any case since elimination was announced
    • •Why disease persists in Niger

    ESTLED with hills and valleys is Seri, a village in Plateau State’s Kanke Local Government Area where Antonia Peter, 70, is lying on an old wooden bench, flanked by young children who are playing various games. At their age, Antonia’s world was abruptly veiled in shadows when she fell victim to the merciless grip of river blindness.

    “I started struggling with my sight and my skin was also itching often. I cannot remember how old I was when it happened,” she said.

    In the 80s, 90s and early mid 2000s, river blindness (or Onchocerciasis) was prevalent in Seri.

    Due to how early she contracted this disease, she was unable to get formal education because of the far location of the only school at the time. However, she attended catechism at a catholic church beside her parent’s house and got baptised by the missionaries who gave her the name Antonia.

    River blindness is a parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus transmitted by repeated bites of infected blackflies (Simulium spp.). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), these blackflies breed along fast-flowing rivers and streams, close to remote villages near fertile land where people rely on agriculture.

    Seri stream is located about two hundred metres away from where Antonia was lying down. Most of the early residents of this village depended on this stream for domestic needs and agriculture.

    The downside of the stream was the increased exposure of the community to this neglected tropical disease (NTD). “We were told stories of many of our ancestors who died from this disease,” says Amos Bitrus, a community leader at Seri.

    As of 2018, “Nigeria (was) the most endemic country in the world for river blindness, accounting for as much as 40% of the global disease burden,” according to Dr Frank Richards, senior advisor to the Carter Center’s River Blindness Elimination Programme.

    The Global Burden of Disease Study estimated in 2017 that at least 220 million people required preventive chemotherapy against Onchocerciasis, 14.6 million of the infected people already had a skin disease, 1.15 million had vision loss and over 99% of infected people live in 31 African countries—including Nigeria.

    Halting the plague

    In 1996, The Carter Center, in collaboration with other partners including Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), commenced a project to curb several NTDs in Nigeria, including river blindness. This initiative was aimed at doubling down on the efforts of Nigeria’s River Blindness Foundation which began in 1991.

    “At one time, elimination of river blindness in Nigeria was deemed impossible, and the government of Nigeria and The Carter Center set their sights on merely keeping it under control,” according to the Center. However, in 2013, the co-founder of the Carter Center and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said that “River blindness can and should be eliminated, not just controlled, even in the most afflicted areas of Africa.”

    With its partners, The Carter Center set up offices across the country, with its headquarters in Jos, Plateau State—where the disease was more prevalent. During the programme, The Carter Center and its partners provided health education in rural communities like Seri, alongside mass drug administration (MDA) of the medicine Mectizan®, donated by Merck & Co., Inc.

    “The White people and some other Nigerian medical personnel (referring to The Carter Center team and its partners) visited our village every month to teach us safety precautions and also administer medications. Older people, pregnant women, and children were prioritized,” Mr Bitrus said.

    Antonia Peter is one of the beneficiaries of the initiative. “After many years of struggling with these diseases (river blindness and elephantiasis), I had given up on recovering,” Antonia said as she struggled to speak while lifting her face mapped with deeply etched lines, revealing the countless stories within the tapestry of her existence.

    Antonia did not receive any treatment throughout the period when she went down with the NTDs. “No one knew what these ailments were. We did not even have herbal medications for it,” she said.

    However, two years after she was administered Mectizan®, Antonia said she got healed.

    “I started walking to distances I was not able to cover before that time. I can’t do that now because of old age but you can look at my eyes and legs, they look ‘normal’ unlike before,” she added.

    Mectizan kills the parasite larvae in the human body, preventing blindness and skin disease in infected persons, and stopping the transmission of the parasite to others.

    After delivering 27 million doses of medication over more than 20 years, The Carter Center announced in 2018 that it interrupted the transmission of river blindness in Plateau and Nassarawa states and has also halted the mass administration of Mectizan® in affected communities.

    “Stopping the mass drug administration Programme in Plateau and Nasarawa states is a major achievement,” Richards said. “But we must be careful to monitor closely over the next few years to ensure it does not come back. This will require continued effort and perseverance.”

    As of June 2023 when one of our reporters visited The Carter Center office in Jos, it was still operational. According to Dr Yao Sodahlon, director of the Mectizan Donation Programme, “It is the largest ‘stop MDA decision’ in the history of the struggle against onchocerciasis.”

    The Carter Center said that over 6,000 people and more than 18,000 vector black flies were tested and found free of river blindness infection, confirming the need to stop the MDA in both states.

    “Since the elimination was announced, we have not encountered any case of the disease,” says Mafullu Rafan, the deputy health officer at Primary Health Centre (PHC), Amper Centre, the largest healthcare facility close to Seri Community.

    Engaging the communities came with hurdles

    Initially, when the river blindness intervention started in Plateau State, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the Plateau State River Blindness Foundation were using existing primary healthcare facilities—like PHC Amper Centre—to distribute the medication as a way to cut costs.

    However, the intervention transitioned from a mobile delivery system to community-based distribution (CBD), leveraging village-based personnel to hasten the process.

    As of 1992 when this transition started, most of the eligible volunteers who were mostly recommended by their community leaders were school teachers. This was due to their communication and arithmetic experiences.

    “The community-based distributors (CBDs) were required to be available for five to ten work days just before and during the treatment period,” the Carter Center said.

    As part of this transition, CBDs were provided with monetary incentives ranging from ₦100 to ₦200 (approximately $8–16 in 1992). However, some of these distributors were underpaid or received no payment at all. Also, favouritism affected the selection of competent CBDs in these communities, as community leaders often selected their relatives or friends for the roles.

    However, at the end of 1994, over 1,000 CBDs were trained in Plateau State.

    Why Niger still battles to eradicate NTDs in 25 LGAs

    Niger State is one of the states that is still endemic for onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminths and trachoma. According to a mapping survey by the state Ministry of Health carried out in the 25 local government areas of the state, NTDs were found to be prevalent in these local government areas, ranging from 2 per cent to 88 per cent.

    The Niger State Coordinator on NTD Elimination, Hajiya Nauzo, said that onchocerciasis was the major cause of blindness in many rural communities across the state, pointing out that even though the state has effectively eradicated trachoma, it is still battling with combating Onchocerciasis as there are often spots of cases reported once in a while.

    The state coordinator highlighted insecurity in some parts of the state, high attrition of community implementers (Community Directed Distributors), low commitment of health workers and community implementers, diminishing community support in many communities’ endemic for NTDs, lack of release of counterpart funds at all levels, weak involvement of line ministries in the elimination activities of NTDs, and the non-conduct of regular operational research to address programme challenges as reasons why Onchocerciasis and other NTDs may not have been successfully eliminated in the state.

    “Niger state is faced with insecurity, and this is greatly affecting the fight against the elimination of NTDs.

    “Most often when we are about to go for field work, we get information about attacks and turn back.

    “Sometimes you will be in the field, and then you will start hearing gunshots up and down and you have to stop whatever you are doing and look for a place to hide.

    “Last year, that was what happened to those who went to the Mariga, Rafi and Shiroro axis.

    “They were inside when these attacks occurred, but they could not leave. They had to stay in the bush, including the partners who came in from Abuja.

    “Several of them are unwilling to go to the area. But they need these drugs because they are also endemic to the NTDs.

    “The security challenges are so serious that if not addressed, we will not be able to totally eliminate NTDs.”

    Nauzo said that the state adopted the Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI) strategy as the main strategy of programme implementation, while for the collection of data, Lymphatic filariasis (LF) mapping and baseline surveys were conducted.

    The Mission to Save the Helpless (Mitosath) is one of the organisations helping the state government in the eradication of NTDs. According to Salome Marcus, the initiative has been in place in the state for seven years.

    She pointed out that there has been a massive reduction in cases of river blindness, but it has not been totally eliminated in the state.

    She noted that schistosomiasis is the most prevalent in the state, while Onchocerciasis is endemic in 21 local government areas.

    “We are using the standard community and school based approach during the NTDs interventions.

    “Sometimes strategies are initiated based on situations or problems confronted in the local government areas to ensure smooth implementation,” she said.

    Marcus also disclosed that for effective monitoring and evaluation, Mitosath also provided the local government coordinators with motorcycles so that they would be able to get to hard-to-reach communities.

    She expressed optimism that river blindness and other NTDs would soon be eradicated in Niger State as several local government areas have passed the transmission assessment survey (TAS 1), which is a surveillance tool to determine that infection levels are sustained below target thresholds, which is an indication that treatment is working.

    FCT on course in drive to eliminate river blindness

    In Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, onchocerciasis is prevalent in all of its six area councils: Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, and Kwali.

    However, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), with support from its partners — nongovernmental organisations like the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) — is working towards eliminating river blindness and other NTDs in the FCT.

    CBM’s intervention for the elimination of river blindness in the FCT commenced in 1995, Joseph Kumbo, the organisation’s NTD Technical Specialist in Nigeria, revealed.

    “We have been supporting the FCT to carry out mass drug administrations (MDAs) against river blindness and other NTDs for the past 28 years. At baseline, the FCT was one of the most endemic areas for river blindness in Nigeria.

    “In fact, people raised concerns at the time about the location of the federal capital territory here due to the prevalence of black flies.

    “But we were able to push it down, thanks to the regular donation of drugs from the WHO,” said Mr Kumbo.

    He noted that while onchocerciasis (river blindness) is still endemic across all six area councils of the FCT, interventions are continuous and ongoing until total elimination is achieved.

    Kumbo said: “Onchocerciasis is one of the diseases set for elimination by the Nigerian Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Elimination Programme.

    “Currently, we have reached the stage of impact assessment. The first transmission assessment survey was conducted last year, which is the epidemiological assessment, where children from (age) one to nine were tested to see if transmission was going on amongst them.

    “We got a good result, which moved us to the second level of assessment, where we had to monitor parasites inside the black flies, which lasted for one year, ending in 2022.”

    He noted that results from the second assessment showed that black flies were still vectors of the parasite, which meant that intervention was still required.

    “The elimination committee has directed us to continue with MDAs once a year for two years across all the area councils.

    “But for the two area councils, Bwari and Abaji, where the positive black flies were caught, we are having two interventions in a year, for two years,” he said.

    He revealed that residents in the FCT are at risk of being infected with river blindness and advocated preventive measures to reduce the chance of infection.

    “Most times, people do not see the physical manifestation of the disease, but it is still there.

    “So, it is advisable that people living within the FCT take a dose of Ivermectin at least once a year as a preventive measure,” he said.

    •This story has been made possible by Nigeria Health Watch, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.

    By Justina Asishana, Johnstone Kpilaakaa, & Uchenna Igwe

  • NCPC airlifted 25,000 pilgrims in three years, says Executive Secretary

    NCPC airlifted 25,000 pilgrims in three years, says Executive Secretary

    • •N5.5b Pilgrims Heritage Camp ready soon

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev.(Dr.) Yakubu Pam yesterday said over 25,000 pilgrims have performed pilgrimage to Jerusalem in three years.

    He also said the commission would float a savings scheme to enable more Christians to go on pilgrimage.

    He said the ongoing construction of a N5. 5billion Pilgrims Heritage Camp would soon be completed.

    Pam, who spoke with some journalists in Abuja, said the commission had been operating without statutory allocations from the Federal Government since 2020.

    He said: “Despite the global effects of COVID-19, our commission has been able to fulfill its obligations to Christian pilgrims.

    “In the last three years, we have coordinated and provided a conducive environment for over 25,000 pilgrims to perform pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

    “None of the pilgrims had health issues. We have continued to offer quality service to our pilgrims. “

    Pam said a N5. 5billion Pilgrims Heritage Camp would soon be completed.

    He added: “Under my leadership, the construction of NCPC Pilgrims Heritage Camp at the Central Business District of Abuja has received a tremendous boost as the construction work has progressed greatly and will likely be completed in-no-too distant time.

    “Given the above, it is encouraging to note that the Executive Secretary with the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and some directors appeared before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on 23rd March, 2022 with a memo to seek for approval for the construction of Pilgrims Heritage Camp House, situated at the Central Business District of Abuja.

    “FEC graciously approved the Commission’s request of N5,534,265,037.36. This move is highly commendable and the Executive Secretary has resolved to see to the completion of this project on record time.”

    On the plans of NCPC, Pam said the commission will establish a savings scheme to “enable more Nigerian Christians to perform the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. “

  • Tinubu, governors and federalism

    Tinubu, governors and federalism

    The debate on the future of federalism in Nigeria may have been rekindled by the recent statement of President Bola Tinubu when he met with the governors in Lagos.

    The President urged the 36 governors to collaborate with him in repositioning the nation’s fragile federal system that has become crisis-ridden and encumbered nation-building and development.

    By alluding to federalism, it seemed the President was bothered by the clear “unitary danger” and the erosion of federal process that has made restructuring, devolution and decentralisation elusive since the military era.

    Before passing the baton to Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari did a minor restitution for the multiple sins of unitarism by signing Bills that transferred some items from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List. Unlike before, states are now constitutionally strengthened to construct rail lines, as well as generate and distribute electricity on their own.

    Now that a federalist, Tinubu, is in power, the prospects of movement from conditions of centralisation to a devolutionary society may be bright.

    Indisputably, Nigeria’s dubious federal principle has compounded its multiple crises of identity, participation, integration, legitimacy and distribution. Deprived, pauperised and powerless component units are coordinate with the power-loaded centre in a highly heterogeneous nation-state with the added demerits of structural defects and institutional deformities.

    The abnormality of the curious federal arrangement manifests in the over-centralisation of the police and financial control of the local government by the distant federal authority, which has politically usurped the powers of the states, whose Houses of Assembly have the constitutional legitimacy to create, monitor and discipline the grassroots units of administration.

    Federalism entails the recognition of sociological factors, diverse groupings and respect for peculiarities, which, in the first instance, should be the basis for the protection and survival of group identities.

    As each component unit, leveraging on its more or less autonomous status, is able to grow in a federal country according to its pace, there is a healthy competition. Recognition of the basis for peaceful co-existence, based on agreed terms, and mutual respect between and among unidentical social formations, become the foundation of unity in diversity.

    Political power distribution is a key element. While the Federal Government should contend with limited items on the Exclusive List, the Concurrent List, which the central and state governments can legislate upon, can be expanded in terms of the opportunities it offers to both tiers to share constitutional functions and responsibilities, and move away from the centralised cage.

    Yet, the president of a supposedly federal state needs a Tinubu style of inclusion, which abolishes nepotism and gives the zones a sense of adequate participation, belonging, accommodation and fulfilment in appointments. Diverse ethnic groups cohabitating in a federal polity take delight in a just and equitable sharing of privileges, and in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance. This approach removes the fear of marginalisation and alienation.

    The military did an incalculable damage to the federal essence through the deliberate creation of states and local governments, and unjust delineation of federal and state constituencies in a way that consistently favoured a particular zone.

    Read Also: Tinubu’s approval of tax changes will create more conducive business environment – Okumagba

    Military authorities, back in their days, brandished overwhelming powers of coercion to resist slight criticism of their arbitrary unitary orientation by the residual class of politicians who understood the principles of federalism since the days of John Stuart Macpherson and his 1951 constitution. The unfair distribution or structural imbalance meant that the favoured bloc zone had more access to national wealth than other regions. This pushed other component units in the country into cries of despondency and frustration.

    The skewed or lopsided distribution of what many people regard as the obnoxious national cake usually breeds mutual distrust, suspicion and lack of national outlook. It may have further led to the weakening of confidence to continue in an unjust federation. Withdrawal of emotional attachment to the unfair federal arrangement has led to uncouth clamours for disintegration and triggered regional crises. Without mincing words, it is also a factor in state fragility. In some climes, state fragility is a prelude to state failure.

    The devising of federal character, catchment area and quota system has failed to correct these flaws due to misapplication and manipulation.

    This is dangerous to the federal health. It is incontrovertible that when citizens from the seemingly antagonistic zones feel deprived, they retrograde to their ethnic mouthpieces for the articulation of personal and regional interests in manners that heat up the polity.

    In Nigeria’s brand of federalism, emphasis is always on distribution and not on production. Revenue allocation evokes passion, but there is less emphasis on how the revenue is generated and where it is generated from. The bone of contention is sharing. There is no evidence to show that the areas that generate the resources, including the Value Added Tax (VAT), take more than other beneficiaries. It is the baseline for the agitation for resources control.

    Since wealth distribution is both centralised and lopsided, there is a stiff competition for the control of power at the centre, not for the redress of federal injustice, but for the defence of the political and economic interests of the zone, region or ethnic group in power. Thus, in the past, the presidency, which mirrored regional interest, was never a unifying factor, or symbol of national unity.

    At the centre of the fray is the nation’s economic mainstay – oil. It has become a blessing and a curse. As patriotic and rational minds cannot achieve the objective of resource agitation through ethical means, unpatriotic elements have now taken over. The result is crude oil theft.

    The last general election was a contribution to the search for a sort of “corrective federalism.” The feeling that a particular zone was not interested in the transfer of power to another region became illusory. Power transfer was accomplished by zoning or rotation, which has now boosted the confidence of regions in the “doctrine of turn by turn” as against the pattern of political monopolisation, domination and bullying.

    Since 1999, civilian authorities have grappled with the defects of Nigeria’s federalism. Yet, there is no wide departure from the past. The foundation of the Fourth Republic was faulty.

    The military-imposed 1999 Constitution, assailed by consistent deformity, has not altered the legacy of military interlopers. It is a document that has continued to lie against itself. It is not the act of the Nigerian people. The periodic piecemeal amendments have amounted to tokenism, hindering the accomplishment of a broader objective of reform and restructuring. The more the archaic constitution is sustained, the more the severe deviation from the prospects of federalism.

    How far can Nigeria make progress under a president who has a good intention, when certain provisions of the defective constitution are roadblocks to achieving his equitably nationalistic reforms?

    Tinubu, as it currently stands, may be willing to package a meaningful response to the challenge of federalism. He may be acting from a vantage point of experience. Lagos State under him as governor was once a victim. If a project like Eron/PPP is embarked upon by any governor today, or a governor legitimately creates additional local councils, Tinubu is not likely to raise an eyebrow or withhold allocations to the councils.

    But why is federalism a big issue? In 1947, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, came up with an answer in his book, titled: Path to Nigeria’s Freedom. Up to now, there is no rational and genuine contrary opinion. As against latter-day “federal absolutism” foisted by the military, the nationalist politician reasoned that federalism was the best for a highly heterogeneous society with diverse cultures, languages and ways of life.

    This is in contrast with the existence of a Federal Government that has, according to a political scientist, Prof. Dipo Kolawole, transformed itself into an octopus and a bully, in a “federation of an excessively strong central government, supposedly partnered by ridiculously weak 36 states with a Federal Capital Territory supported by obviously ineffective 774 local governments. All other 801 governments combined are weaker than the Central Government”.

    As the debate rages, issues that will ultimately come to the front burner include the injustice of lumping diverse entities together for forced cohabitation in some states, determination of component units or tiers, the status of local government, controversial distributive politics of the Federal Government, Land Use Act, state and community policing, and reshaping of the mode of inter-governmental relations.

    How can Nigeria retrace its steps from the unworkable unitary to an obvious federal principle?

    Three methods could resolve the current logjam: judicial pronouncement by a progressive court, sincere and comprehensive constitution amendment by the National Assembly, and a People’s Sovereign National Conference whose discourse and report would not gather dust on the shelf without honest implementation.

  • Bayelsa hands over stranded fishermen to Sao Tome and Principe

    Bayelsa hands over stranded fishermen to Sao Tome and Principe

    THE Bayelsa State Government has formally handed over three fishermen who lost their way on the Gulf of Guinea to the Sao Tome and Principe’s Head of Mission in Nigeria.

    Speaking in Government House, Yenagoa, during the formal handover yesterday, Governor Douye Diri lauded the local fishermen in Okpoama community in Brass Local Government Area of the state, who rescued their fellow fishermen on the Atlantic Ocean.

    He said they demonstrated the true spirit of an Ijaw man, who cares for his brothers and humanity in general.

    The governor said the action of the Bayelsa fishermen underscored the cordial relationship between Nigeria and the neighbouring country.

    Diri stated that once they were rescued, his administration through the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Pabara Igwele, made sure that they were provided the necessary health care.

    He hailed the effort of the government of Sao Tome and Principe in showing concern for its citizens even though they were fishermen, saying it showed that they truly valued their citizens.

    Read Also: Two SaôTome and Principe fishermen rescued in Bayelsa

    The Bayelsa governor also commended the role of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in the rescue of the fishermen and again called for the agency’s presence in Bayelsa and other coastal states to take care of such situations.

    Diri said: “I am really very proud of our fishermen who exhibited their ‘Ijawness’ because the Ijaw man is very hospitable and loves humanity.

    “Let me also appreciate the Government of Sao Tome and Principe for going after their citizens who went missing on the Atlantic Ocean for over one week while trying to navigate their way on the sea and the Gulf of Guinea drifted them to the Nigerian boundary.”

    Responding, the Sao Tome and Principe Head of Mission to Nigeria, Pires Dos Santos Aguiar, expressed appreciation to the Bayelsa State Government and Nigeria for their effort to rescue his countrymen.

    He said the action of Bayelsa and Nigeria had strengthened the relationship between both countries.

    In another development, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has applauded the Prosperity Pilot Initiative (PPI) for being in the vanguard of spreading the gospel of prosperity in a mature and effective manner.

    Ewhrudjakpo gave the compliments when he granted audience to the leadership of the PPI at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.

  • Troops rescue 24 kidnap victims, kill bandits in Zamfara

    Troops rescue 24 kidnap victims, kill bandits in Zamfara

    TROOPS of Operation Hadarin Daji yesterday rescued 24 abductees in the Kabugu Lamba, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

    The troops received an intelligence report on a bandit hideout at Kabugu Lamba forest where kidnapped victims were concentrated, Channels Television was reliably informed.

    Channels Television said that the troops responded swiftly with a fighting patrol to the general area.

    Read Also: COAS to troops: your welfare will be prioritised

    However, on reaching the location, heavy gunfire occurred for hours between the bandits and the Nigerian Army troops and due to the troops’ superior firepower, the armed bandits fled, abandoning the victims in some isolated buildings.

    In the encounter, the troops successfully rescued 24 kidnapped victims and neutralised four armed bandits, while others fled with several gunshot wounds. Among the rescued kidnap victims were nine women, 14 men, and an infant.

  • Order and stability: a case for Nigeria’s youth

    Order and stability: a case for Nigeria’s youth

    Change is inevitable! The trouble however is that, most times, one doesn’t see it coming; not even the military; otherwise, all coups would have been preempted and suppressed before they’re eventually executed. So also, it is reasonable to say in public administration that, in the few weeks of Bola Tinubu’s administration, there have been many upheavals and things that quite a few Nigerians never believed were possible that have been announced and addressed; and the nation has remained the same, even stronger.

    Going forward, President Tinubu wants to fly in the air at 1 a.m. He wants all the youth fixed. But for these and others to become a reality, order and stability must take preeminence. Incontestably, order and stability are remedies for so many things, most especially, development. Till tomorrow, there exists a deep argument about the adequacy or otherwise of the definition of development because it’s not the bigness of a small thing but an all-encompassing advancement of a phenomenon or a plethora of such phenomena. Even skeptics would also worry about these essential requirements for nation-building. As fate would have it, the military that used to have it so good has also been touched. The security architecture of Nigeria has been duplicated in so many centres such that they may look innocent; but then, they are problematic. So, unless her architectural profile is urgently redrawn, the Project Nigeria remains exposed. The more reason people in government must keep thinking, for it is not yet ‘uhuru’.

    Tinubu needs to be abreast of the state of security in the Nigerian nation. So far, what has improved about the country’s safety profile? The restive situation of Nigeria’s youth: can it be taken for granted? For the couple of weeks that this administration has been in place, the youth have not been seen to be agitating for anything, not even at the motor parks; but does that mean that all is well? Can the situation be likened to the peace of the graveyard? Or is it that of the youth temporarily suspending their sorrow? Or the gathering storm of a sort? It is therefore left for the government not totake the presence of the multitudinouspopulation of the youth in a vibrant society for granted for it will be an error to suppose any intangible similarities among them. Where the kids – especially the marked proportion of the population that claims to be youth – are disorganized, poor and broke, and with no vision, trouble is imminent. It is a sure road to double disadvantage and cruelty, both ways; and one cannot blame anybody.

    Already, too many people are outside the excessively small, cagy arrangement of people and structure because the people are understudied and numbered. If nothing is done, the sanctity of Nigeria’s data in terms of population will remain laughable for centuries to come. How do I mean? Unless the youth are taken care of, all the other aspects of advancement in terms of security and development are a waste of time and resources. So, fix the security and associated social networking and all other things shall be added unto the government. Notable among them is the unbridled ability or agility of the youth which will bring to bear things that are of times and seasons globally, unhindered. 

    An adventure into the trajectory of the functional flow of public administration and specific political antecedents in Nigeria will confirm that ours is a society without the collective organic vision. But then, the hearts of those who use blackmail as a means of economic survival tell us a great story about how politics is played in this part of the world. That’s why ‘accidental politicians’ try to fool the illuminated majority, making use of the same principles of democracy to justify their allegations and expectations. What is more worrisome is that Nigerians are so disoriented with regard to the basic understanding and essence of communal togetherness. If the rule of law is weak or jaundiced, then the society is equally jaundiced. It means one has to resort to self-help to achieve some things; and that’s not good enough for a country that is aspiring to become developed.

    Read Also: Youths seek ministerial nomination from Taraba Central

    Dear country is also acutely overawed by infrastructural and energy challenges. It is therefore appropriate for Tinubu’s government to get futuristic so that potentials can be realized. Unlike the past where priorities were rashly misplaced without recourse to conscience, this administration must rush its ideas and the good things it has for Nigeria. Let it be that the president has a legacy that is already bequeathed to him to do all that is constitutionally possible to pull Nigeria from the brink.

    Any man who wants to hear the truth, the lies and the funny sides of the Nigerian nation should visit a newsstand and the social media market and he will not be disappointed. Even if they end up giving the contracts to their wives and concubines, let men from the country’s policy think-tanks visit these informal structures which should not be ignored and they will discover that the troubles remain the same!

    The anger and feasibly known causes of anger of the youth are now many more than ever before. Since #EndSARS, institutions have not stopped turning out graduates who, in the understanding of many Nigerians, are mature enough and are entitled to get jobs. That fire remains unquenched, not even by the new government. To this extent, the joy and expectation of every graduate who has acquired one skill or another is dashed immediately he or she is out of the polytechnic or university because the little window through which he or she was previously assured is fast closing.

    Nigeria’s youth are determined to strive for greater heights, but they have serious obstructions from their rulers. What they really need are enabling environments, sustainable policies, enhancement orders, security assurances and sincerity of purpose. What they require is genuine leadership, not rulership. Unfortunately, events in our recent past have made most of the youth become so agitated that some were being labeled rebellious. Recycling the same old and unproductive systems and personalities has also built cynical orientations amongst them. But the truth is that no sane person likes to settle for violence as a way of life.

    What are we saying? Poverty doesn’t know the complexion or flags of political parties. Therefore, any employment of the youth will serve more than the family of the employed. Apart from being the bringer of hope for the forgotten lot, it will also serve as hope for the wretched portion of the youth. We need to bear in mind that the uneducated and the low-educated youth are in the majority. They even form the bulk of the voting public. In any case, the ambassadorial members of the Tinubu workforce – appointees like Zacchaeus Adedeji (45 years; Special Adviser, Revenue), Olu Verheijen (46 years; Special  Adviser, Energy) and John Uwajumogu (46 years; Special Adviser, Industry, Trade and Investment) has rekindled the hope in the youth; that they can still get it right, provided they are backed by the right laws by the National Assembly, the right executive orders from the presidency, and supportive bureaucratic organs to work with. Apart from bringing “a diverse range of expertise, deep-rooted knowledge, and unwavering dedication to the betterment of Nigeria”,theseyoungtechnocrats have Nigeria’s youth to answer to. So, they cannot afford to underperform or perform undependably. Specifically for Adedeji, his antecedents have already shown the type of man he is!

    May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

    •KOMOLAFE writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk

  • Quest for ‘juicy’ legislative committees and ministries’ as Nigeria’s albatross

    Quest for ‘juicy’ legislative committees and ministries’ as Nigeria’s albatross

    Nigerian elections are over. The executive at the federal and state levels have all been inaugurated. There are litigations going on in courts at the different election petitions tribunals across the country but the constitution grants those already sworn in the legitimacy to function. So the President and the state governors must appoint a team to work with. The Ministerial/Commissioners’ nominees of the President and governors would normally be sent to the Senate and the State Houses of Assembly for screening and approval.

    This process of screening in the Nigerian democratic setting has been fraught with a myriad of problems. Many analysts believe that the flawed system affects the outcome of the process in the long run. The idea that most political parties in Nigeria have no identifiable political ideology makes the situation worse.  Most analysts actually believe that Nigeria has not developed a strong political party structure that can help build enduring democratic structures.

    At the moment, Nigerian political parties are largely dependent on single, regional or a group of individuals and many believe that  cannot be sustainable because human mortality puts an end to such restrictive influences. The democracies across the world are viable because they operate based on structures put in place that outlive humans. The purpose of political parties in any democracy is not just to win power. No, it is much more than that. Political parties are like gatekeepers in any democracy. They provide vehicles that transport individuals to political offices at both the executive and legislative levels.

    It is therefore the duty of well-structured political parties to make sure that what binds their members together births a better policy articulation and execution strategies that would ultimately improve the welfare of the people which is the essence of governments. To achieve good governance, parties must be bound by strong ideologies that all members must work hard enough to uphold. In the United Kingdom and United States of America, the Tories and the Labour Party and the Democrats and Republican parties respectively are some of the most powerful political parties whose ideological choices are neither opaque or ambiguous.

    Winning or losing elections are dependent on the outcomes of the influence of their ideological choices on the different sectors of the economy. There is an unspoken demand from every member especially the politicians to act in total fidelity to the ideological slant of any party they belong to. This is part of the reasons for their enduring democracies. They do not run a perfect system but the structures are solid enough to carry the individual human imperfections while undergoing checks and balances. The structures are the pillars that sustain democracies because they outlive humans.

    The Roundtable Conversation has followed Nigerian democracy in the last twenty four years and it is obvious the country cannot continue on the same path and expect growth and development. There must be a change because the former system has not brought progress. Having 133million Nigerians living in multi-dimnsional poverty with an additional 4million added in the first quarter of 2023 must be the awakening Nigeria needs and urgently too.

    The idea that Presidents and governors nominate individuals for positions without attaching portfolio to them before they undergo screening in the legislative houses is one of the blights in our democracy. The individuals are often screened in a vacuum literarily. It is even worse in situations where the nominees were former legislators at any levels. The patronage by their colleagues have raised questions as to the capacity of the legislators to do a thorough job having in mind that being a legislator  at any point does not imbue anyone with the capacity to hold executive positions in any capacity.

    Read Also: Two Sessions: Interrogating China’s unique legislative process

    The Roundtable Conversation believes that the idea that ‘juicy legislative committees and Ministries’ exist in our political lexicon is an indictment on the political system we run. What this means is that there has been a process that focuses on individual or group gain at the expense of the nation. The word ‘Juicy’ comes with all the semantic and political import that is at once as indicting as it is nauseous.

    The implication of the existence of the prefix ‘juicy’ in the circumstance diminishes the whole essence of service and competence. This throws up the opportunities for lobbyists and political influence peddling that leave the whole system wounded in a way that poverty and underdevelopment might never leave the nation. The shameless scramble for positions at the federal and state levels often compromises merit for other mundane considerations.

    In the last eight years for instance, the nation has been reeling from the impact of such short-sightedness by the political class. Merit had often been compromised because the politicians at all levels often see appointments not as national service but as a favour to the appointees. We believe that the present system gives room for round pegs in square holes.

    It is regrettable that political influence-peddling determines who gets what not necessarily who can do what. This too is rooted in the flawed political party structure where appointments are given as rewards for either party or individual loyalty. Make no mistakes about it, lobbying is a political lexicon that is not only practiced in Nigeria. However, the only difference is that the Nigerian brand is often an abuse of the system and power and ends up making individuals not accountable to the nation. There is a level of allegiance that political parties owe the people.

    The National Assembly has completed the election of their leadership and the country is waiting to see what the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass will come up with. The nation expects that committee Chairmanship would be done with competence and capacity in mind. Given that the country is almost at the edge of the precipice, the legislature must live up to expectation by doing their constitutional duties. The leadership must realize that to whom much is given much much is expected. Committees must be headed by professionals with capacity and with track record of performance.

    Oversight function is one of the three core duties of the legislature. To do an effective oversight, the committee that becomes the eye of the national assembly after inauguration must be headed by individuals with the knowledge of the different ministries and agencies of governments at all levels. It takes one knowledgeable in a sector to be able to understand the operational nuances of such sectors.

    The Senate under Godswill Akpabio must realize that Nigerians are smarting from the effects of the 9th Assembly that is generally referred to as ‘rubberstamp’ assembly. The political consciousness of Nigerians has gone beyond what happened in the past. All eyes are on the National Asembly. First the allocation of Committees must not be done in the old style of patronage where favoritism and nepotism held sway. Committees must be chaired by professionals in the fields so that there can be better efficiency.

    The leadership of the National Assembly must realize that they are mere firsts amongst equals and that their members owe their constituents optimal performance. The leadership must be more interested in the optimal performance of each legislator as they are all parts of a whole. Their aggregate performance is what can impact on the whole country.

    The list of ministers is expected to be sent to the senate very soon. The national expectation is that this 10th senate will take the road less traveled. There are expectations that they must insist that the nominees’ expected portfolio must be attached to their names so that they can drill the nominees and ask appropriate questions according to the qualifications of the nominees.  Party loyalty and other mundane considerations must not trump national interest. Nigeria needs that efficiency that comes from core and thorough professionals that would not be learning on the job. The All Progressive Congress (APC) must realize that the people are impatient and the last eight years have been a challenge for Nigerians. There must be a clear departure from the style that never worked.

    The senate must move away from being seen as giving incompetent nominees a free pass. A Hilary Clinton who had been the first lady of Arkansas and the United States was twice elected as a senator in New York was thoroughly screened.  She faced about 12-hour drilling from the US senate when she was nominated as the Secretary of State in 2009. The Senators did not tell her to bow-and-go based on her antecedents. They drilled her exhaustively knowing that service to the United States at the level of Secretary of State was not similar to any post she had held prior to the time.

    Nigerian legislators and the executive must show extreme patriotism. The right people must be in the right positions for things to work. It cannot be business as usual because reviving the economy  needs the urgency of now. The National Assembly must do its job knowing they are representing the whole nation even if they are from different constituencies and political parties in the nation.

    The National assembly must set agenda for the state houses of assembly and together, Nigeria might just begin a slow journey to recovery. Conceding to the scramble for ‘juicy’ committees and ministries/agencies negates everything the executive and the national assembly should stand for. No sector is more important than the other. Competence and the capacity to deliver should be key.

    The dialogue continues…

  • Alleged N7.5b fraud: Court remands ‘fugitive Ponzi operator’

    Alleged N7.5b fraud: Court remands ‘fugitive Ponzi operator’

    The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday remanded a suspected Ponzi scheme operator, Mr. Bamishe Ajetunmobi, wanted by the police since 2021, for an alleged N7.5 billion fraud.

    Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke ordered that Ajetunmobi be kept in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the determination of charges filed by the police against him.

    He adjourned till November 29, for commencement of trial.

    The judge’s order followed the defendant’s arraignment on a 12-count charge by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID Annex) Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Ajetunmobi pleaded not guilty.

    Read Also: How to identify Ponzi scheme, by SEC

    Prosecution counsel Mr. Morufu Animashaun of the FCID’s legal office told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in February 2021 in a conspiracy with his wife, Elizabeth Ajetunmobi, who is now at large, and their firm, Imagine Global Solutions Limited.

    The couple, the court heard, allegedly defrauded Nigerian investors by, among others, luring them with a 10 per cent return on investment (ROI).

    Those allegedly defrauded by the defendants and the sums received from them included Mr. Olawale Lawal, N1.5 billion; Mrs. Kate Omu, N500 million, Mr. Erhi Catherine Ojoboh, N2 billion, and Mr. Abioye Idris, N3.5 billion.

    The prosecutor told the court that the offences contravened sections 8 (a), 1(a)(c) and 1 (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 which were punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

  • Baby mama craze: When artistes go a-sowing

    Baby mama craze: When artistes go a-sowing

    The recent pregnancy saga involving hip-hop star Davido and two ladies, has again brought to the front-burner the seeming recklessness among artistes, who go about fathering babies with different women without recourse to caution. Gboyega Alaka traces the history in the Nigerian entertainment scene while also exploring factors that may be responsible.

    It’s a craze that took roots from forever. Or so it seems. In the Nigerian music circle, it arguably started with their ‘grandfather’, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The Afro-beat originator got so women drunk that he brazenly got married to 27 women in one day.

    While Fela’s action outraged many, he took refuge in the African culture of polygamy, which empowers a man to marry as many women as he desires, so long as he gets the women’s consent and has the wherewithal to cater for their needs – physically, materially and emotionally.

    So Fela’s ‘rascality’, as many have termed it, could be excused. What one may however not discountenance would be the fact that he also may have had escapades with the women before he decided to break ‘world record’ at the time. Yes, you heard right. While there have been men who have married more than 27 women, none in history has done it in one day.

    Aside Fela, a few of the musicians and entertainers of the past may also have embarked on reckless philandering, with many amassing wives and concubines and bearing scores of children in near and far flung areas.

    Interestingly, the trend is not limited to Nigeria or Africa, as even monogamous Europe and America are not exempted. It is on record that celebrity actor Eddie Murphy has ten children from five women, while another American rapper, Future, has eight children from eight different women.

    Surprisingly, rapper Snoop Doggy has maintained a relatively disciplined coital life, despite his lewd and raunchy lyrics and videos. He has three children with his wife, Shante; and only one child, a son, with his former high school lover.

    Age of Baby Mamas

    The Oxford Dictionary defines Baby Mama as “the mother of one or more of a man’s children, especially one who is not his wife or current partner.

    For some reasons, the expression, Baby Mama never really crept into mainstream usage until recently. Its etymology or earliest usage could be traced to Jamaica in the ‘60s, when unmarried mothers were referred to as ‘baby-mother’ (pronounced in Creole as bebi mada); while it first appeared in the Kingston newspaper, The Daily Gleaner in 1966.

    More recently, the expression metamorphosed to Baby mama and has since gained popularity among entertainers and celebrities; more because of their lifestyles of partying, sex and booze.

    With the gradual boom in the Nigerian entertainment industry, especially the hip-hop music genre at the turn of the last millennium, international and global music stars and celebrities. Naturally, their fame has attracted the womenfolk like bees to nectar. The result has been numerous reckless copulations that have resulted in numerous out of wedlock babies.

    The ever vibrant Nigerian media have responded accordingly, going to town with juicy stories of scandals and reckless philandering in the industry, and the resultant unplanned pregnancies and babies. And the list of artistes with baby mamas is endless, with names like Tuface, WizKid, Davido taking the front row.

    Even relatively new artistes like Portable have joined the fray, creating an impression that it is a norm rather than an exception.

    The Tuface era

    Tuface literally led the way in the new trend among the current generation of artistes. In spite of what seemed like a steady relationship with actress Annie Macaulay, with whom he had become an item since his chartbusting African Queen album, he has been linked with several women, with at least three of them mamaring babies for him.

    At the last count, Tuface has seven children; four boys and three girls from three women – Sumbo Adeoye-2, Pero Adeniyi – 3 while Annie, who later got legally married to him has two children for him; one before wedlock and the other right after they got married.

    The artiste actually shocked many recently, when, in a live programme, he declared in the presence of his wife that he could not promise that he’d never cheat in the future, claiming that, “Whether you like it or not, it’s how men are wired. A man can love a woman intensely, but sometimes, his sexual urges take control.”

    For years, the media sensationalised headlines with Tuface’s ‘exploits,’ while stand-up comedians feasted on him, making him the butt of their jokes until other artistes broke into limelight.

    Enter Wizkid

    Another artiste whose escapade has resulted in several babies from girlfriend baby mamas is Ayodeji Balogun known globally as Wizkid.

    Since 2010 when he broke into the limelight, Wizkid has been linked with several women, both younger and older. At the last count, Whizzy, as his fans love to call him, has three kids from three different women.

    First was Shola Ogudu, who bore him a son, Boluwatife in 2011. That affair and the resultant baby generated lots of squabbles between the two and had to be settled through a DNA test that proved the young Whizzy actually fathered the baby.

    One would think that would teach the artiste some lessons in caution, but that was not to be, as he was soon caught up in another such situation, this time, with Binta Diallo, an America-based Guinean model in 2016. Again, it was a DNA test to the rescue, as the baby mama endured a year of online trolling and bullying from Wizkid’s fans who saw her as a gold-digger. The child was named Ayodeji Balogun, after his father.

    Read Also: Portable marries fourth baby mama

    Just a year later, the singer would again get entangled in another woman’s firm grip, this time, an older woman, Jada Pollock. Wizkid and Pollock, a brand consultant from Britain worked and dated between 2014 and 2017, and the result is Zion, a son.

    Notwithstanding, the boyish looking artiste has been linked with several other women, and rumoured to have had a thing with artiste Tiwa Savage and even legendary super-model, Naomi Campbell, with whom he shared a long lasting friendship.

    Davido and his numerous baby mamas

    While many may think they’d seen it all with Tuface and Wizkid, it seems like David Adeleke aka Davido joined the race with a solid determination to dust every other artiste in the field.

    At the last count, Davido, who burst into limelight in 2012 with his debut album, Omo Baba Olowo, has a total of five baby mamas and still counting.

    Just last week, he dominated cyberspace and all social media platforms when two women came out to declare that they were each carrying his baby.

    The duo, American Anita Brown and French model Ivana Bay, came out hours after each other to declare that they were carrying Davido’s babies.

    Anita claimed she first met Davido in Dubai and they both dated on and off, culminating in her pregnancy. She also released online conversations as testimonies to suggest how involved they were.

    Ivana on her part called out Davido hours after she heard of Anita’s declaration. She wrote:  “I woke up this morning to see that I am not the only woman David got pregnant. I’m just so disappointed in this kind of man, women be careful. I’m still pregnant. So see you in less than nine months now. So tell me, how many baby mamas do you have, should we just be ready for a soccer team?”

    The questions some observers have asked Ivana is if she was not aware of Davido’s marital status before giving him access, accusing her of feigning innocence.

    As if that was not enough, yet another lady, a Kenyan who identified herself simply as Lillyxspade, barely a week later (a few days ago), reportedly took to the social media to reveal that she also had a three-year-old child for the singer.

    She claimed she had kept a low profile because she valued her privacy and her daughter’s and only came out because of taunting that she was not recognised as Davido’s baby mama.

    One could say she also saw the ongoing saga as an opportunity to announce her presence in the scheme of things.

    Davido has not responded to her claim.

    Before Anita and Ivana, there was Ayomide Labinjo, who bore Davido his first child, Anu, in 2014. The singer initially denied paternity of the child but a DNA test eventually confirmed he fathered the child 99.9percent. The businesswoman cum model claimed they met at a nightclub in 2013 and that the singer rejected the option of a condom before the act.

    There was also Sophia Momodu, cousin to Ovation publisher and politician, Dele Momodu, who bore him Aurora Imade in 2015. The scandal that trailed the news of Sophia’s pregnancy and the argument put the publisher and the young singer on a collision course until the matter was settled amicably.

    Atlanta-based Amanda also came into the scene as mother of Davido’s second daughter, Hailey Veronika. The girl is said to be Davido’s look alike.

    After Amanda was Larrisa Jasmine Lorenko, the Angola-born London-based make-up artist and DJ, who bore Davido a daughter, Dawson, in March 2020. Both had been rumoured to be dating before news of her pregnancy filtered out.

    Then of course, there was Chioma Rowlands, who had a baby boy, Ifeanyi, now late in 2021. Chioma could well have remained in the baby mama list but for the fact that she turned out to be the anointed one, as she and Davido in 2022 got married in a secret wedding.

    Artiste keeps mute

    Meanwhile, Davido has maintained a resounding silence since the latest pregnancies saga broke out, coming out only once on his Instagram page to share a track from his album, ‘Unavailable.’

    That one word has been termed to mean several things, leaving each and everyone to hold onto what suits them.

    While some take the silence for acquiesce, blaming Davido for his recklessness, others say he may be innocent and deliberately staying out of the controversy and waiting for it to pan out.

    Davido is however reported to have once publicly said he has never asked any girl to have abortion for him on account of his philandering activities.

    “At least I can confidently say I have never told any girl to have an abortion. I am not saying having a baby without marriage is good, but to me, babies are blessings.”

    The whole saga almost took a new turn last Wednesday, when Anita came out to declare that Davido was dead to her, decrying the fact that she lost 10 pounds in the one week that the controversy raged.

    She tweeted: “He’s dead to me. Don’t ever bring him up again/That man wants to kill me/I lost 10 pounds in a week/I don’t want nothing to do with him I’m done/I will have another father to my child I swear I will.”

    In the meantime, the world waits.

    Other artistes with baby mamas include:

    •Timaya (real name: Inetimi Timaya Odon) has four children from three different women, namely: Barbara Fumnaya Nwokolo, Tama and Dunnie Onasanya.

    •Flavour (Chinedu Okoli) has two children from two women: Anna Banner and Sandra Okagbue.

    •Olamide (real name Olamide Adedeji) has two children from two women; one from his wife Aisha Adebukunmi and another from a baby mama, Maria Okarende.

    •Tekno (real name Augustine Kelechi) has one child from one baby mama.

    •Zlatan (Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael) has a son with baby mama, Davita Lamai.

    Even controversial musician, Portable (real name Habeeb Okikiola) who only broke into limelight less than two years ago, already has five children from three women, including two from his wife, Ewatomi.

    The list, like they say, is endless.

  • Use of substance responsible for such reckless, risky behaviour

    Use of substance responsible for such reckless, risky behaviour

    Juliet Ottoh, a clinical psychologist with the Department of Psychiatry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, in this interview with Gboyega Alaka, says such reckless behaviour of unprotected sex, baby mamas et al can only be as a result of substance use/abuse.

    The whole cyberspace was recently agog when two women came out alleging that they were expecting babies for musician Davido. This, if true, would make it seven women who would be having children for the 30-year-old artiste. What, in your opinion, makes artistes go so reckless that they engage in unsafe sex?

    For mental health, there are fundamental things that we don’t tend to ignore. For reckless acts such as we’re talking about, you can’t rule out the use of substances, although we may not have been privileged to know the kind of substance they have been exposed to. However, the use of substance tend to expose or predispose people to risky behaviours because in that state or euphoria, they are entirely unconscious and are in a different world; a world in which they are not in consonance with reality, and so end up doing reckless things that they eventually regret. Let’s use Davido’s issue as a case in point; he just got married to Chioma and even lost their son last year; so you would think that if he is stable, he would be rational in his decision-making. One, there should be empathy for the wife, even if there is no love. Also, because he is in the social media space, one would expect that he would want to shield his name. But under the influence of substance, he is not in charge; and that’s why it’s called a mental and behavioural problem. When one is under the influence of substance, lots of things could go sour. So they exhibit maladaptive behaviours or unhealthy behaviours. Someone who doesn’t have behavioural problems would not just want to be promiscuous or vulnerable, because at that stage of substance use and influence, they become vulnerable, lax in taking decisions; and people, especially women, take advantage of them; eventually culminating in a source of pain for them. So substance use is the major cause of such reckless behaviour.

    How about the women; they could at least take control under that situation?

    That’s why I used the word vulnerability. These artistes become vulnerable to these women. Don’t forget that they are rich and wealthy. So the girls take advantage of them when they are under the use of substances, to make money. You being a baby mama to the likes of Davido, even if the relationship goes stray, stand to benefit a lot. So they really don’t care whether he is married to Chioma or any other woman. Sometimes the women may be into the substance use as well, but when they have a motive, they tend to soft pedal in their intake but keep feeding their targets with this substance in order to take advantage of them when they get to that point.

    So you see these artistes as victims, literally?

    Yes. They are victims because they use substances. And this could go the way of the female folks as well.

    This could also mean that they may have picked STIs in the course of this recklessness and be transmitting them.

    It’s not written on the forehead of any individual that they are carrying STIs. So one may end up contracting such diseases if one engages in unprotected sex with them; and then it becomes problematic to the individual. So, if you don’t make yourself available to substance use, these things would not happen. As an individual, you need to begin to look at those gaps that this substance predisposes you to that bring about your weaknesses, and begin to think of a way out, so that you don’t become vulnerable over and over. The truth is that once may be seen as a mistake, but when it becomes continuous, it is no longer a mistake but a behavioural pattern. That’s why for people with behavioural patterns, we treat them as diagnosis made as mental and behavioural disorder. Some of them will come down with mental illness, psychosis and all the likes. Some of them will have behavioural problems; that’s why it’s called mental and behavioural disorder. And if you don’t have a behavioural problem or conduct or personality issue, you will not use a substance that becomes a problem to you and makes you vulnerable to STIs and unwanted pregnancies that become problems to you, or get involved in things that would dent your image. Some people have images to protect.

    Tuface recently said the reason for this reckless philandering is because men are polygamous in nature and are unable to control themselves when they get to a certain stage with women

    Anybody can misbehave. We all have hormones in us. It’s the same hormone a man has that a woman has; it’s just the issue of self control. If you’re able to identify your weaknesses, the next thing is to work on them. So there is no exclusion.

    What’s your advice to upcoming artistes, based on this raging issue?

    Stay away from substances, and also have self control. Also have focus. If you have a focus in life, have integrity to protect, you will struggle to make sure all of these things don’t happen to you. There are lots of celebrities who have lived without all of these things attached to them. The fact that you are a celebrity would not change who you are. Yes you become open to society, but you can begin to work on your weaknesses, so that you have more of your strength rather than your weaknesses that people can take advantage of.

    Do you think it could be a matter of ego? Some have argued that it is in a bid to explore as many women as they can for bragging rights that they get so reckless. An artiste like KWAM1, who also has baby mamas, is not known to engage in the kind of drugs some of today’s youth indulge in.

    If you have to probe extensively, you would discover that they are into substance. Substances are not just cocaine, marijuana and stuff. Even the use of alcohol or cigarettes! If you become addicted to any substance, you can become vulnerable. With excessive use of alcohol, there is the likelihood that you would become tipsy and act impulsively; and then things could go wrong. So, yes, there could be ego problems; if it’s a one-off, it could be excused, but if it becomes continuous, it is no longer a mistake but a behavioural problem, and other things could be contributory factors.

    So you’re saying people in this situation need treatment.

    Yes, they need treatment. They need therapy, they need to be helped. Psychological help.