The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday

  • The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (V)

    The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (V)

    Anyone who has been following this series faithfully would no doubt be impressed by the vast quantities of money or if you prefer, the loot which was flooding the coffers of a few countries in Western Europe in what appeared to be an unending stream. As soon as the Spaniards and Portuguese arrived in the Americas and parts of Africa respectively, they began to exploit those territories in a way which had not been seen in the history of the world.  European Empires of the day rose up quickly and fell just as quickly without leaving behind such structures as the pyramids of Egypt, the hanging gardens of Babylon, the Pantheon of Greece or even the impressive road networks of the Roman empire. The lasting legacy of this period can however be identified as the rise of capitalism in Britain, from where it spread to the rest of the world. This has changed the world in a profound manner even whilst sowing the seeds of dangerous human division. This is because capitalism has its roots in the brutal exploitation of the vast majority by a miniscule minority and is based on the unhealthy platform of unhealthy rivalry between and within states. But underneath it all is the division of humanity into the league table of race and racism, the eggs from which it was hatched. Before the arrival of capitalism, culture, traditions and religion were the bases of human division into groups. But, for capitalism to develop humanity had to be divided strictly according to exploitable human races identifiable by skin colour. I am afraid that when the history of this era is written in the future it’s lasting legacy will be the anti-human division of the human race into manufactured human sub-races resembling different species.

    The artificiality of the division of humanity into so called races is based on one simple and undeniable observation; there is only one human race known to science as Homo sapiens or to give it its descriptive English translation, Wise man (woman). It has to be said that this species was not suddenly inflicted upon the earth. It took a long time in arriving, having evolved through numerous clearly inferior races into the current version of the human race. This evolution is calculated to have taken place over a period of fifty million years, a very long time in human terms but very brief in geological time scale given that the formation of the world around us has been going on for more than four billion years. The brevity of the presence of Homo sapiens is established by the length of the earthly tenancy of our race which is no more than three hundred thousand years, only the last five thousand years or so being captured in authenticated human history. It is only since 1492 that the modern era of racial identification by skin colour began.

    I remember listening to JJ. Okocha, the extravagantly talented Nigerian footballer claim that he did not know that he was black until he arrived in Europe to ply his trade on the football fields of that continent. That is a common experience of practically all adult black people who have made that transition at some point in their lives. And really, what is the point of the skin colour graduation that now rules the world? As the great Nelson Mandela is famously reported to have retorted to a white interlocutor who pointed out that he was not black but rather a shade of brown, ‘neither are you white but rather a shade of pink’ he shot back. The colour scheme that humanity has chosen to impose on itself is wildly imprecise most probably because of its artificiality. Human skin colour tones vary over a broad spectrum. From the jet black of some people living around the equator to the nearly paper white of those who were born in arctic regions. In other words, geography more than any other factor is responsible for the spectrum of colour seen around the world and all the differences are no more than skin deep. In biological jargon, it is no more than an adaptation to the environment. People who call the equatorial regions home need protection from the harmful rays of the sun and so have dark skins which filter out the worst effects of the sun. Those who live in places where the sun does not shine for long periods on the other hand are denied the opportunity of using sunlight for the production of vitamin D which is associated with bone strength. White people who live in tropic regions are susceptible to skin cancer whilst people with dark skins are likely to develop brittle bones in the absence of adequate sunshine. It is worth pointing out that there are other adaptations brought about by geographical dictates.

    Some examples of this phenomenon are quite interesting but none of them is as well defined as skin colour.

    It has now been demonstrated that people who live at high altitude have a greater lung capacity than those who live at sea level. This is because the concentration of oxygen is reduced at higher altitudes. Football followers must be aware of the difficulty of beating Bolivian football when they play at high altitude in La Paz because visiting teams have to play against the team in front of them as well as the difficulty of getting oxygen into their blood. Another interesting adaptation associated with high altitude is a congenital lack of the fear of height among people who live at high altitude. Some indigenous people living in the Andes mountains have absolutely no fear of heights and are superbly adapted to building sky scrapers or washing windows on the upper stories of finished sky scrapers. Such people look no different from the rest of us and are therefore not easily identified as being people who are set apart by their respective talents.

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    The point to be made here is that our having been separated into different racial groups is strictly for economic reasons and that separation occurred long after the enslavement of the indigenous peoples in the Americas as well as the peoples of Africa. I feel bold to say it because Shakespeare wrote his iconic tragedy in the seventeenth century and it could only have resonated with his audience because it was still possible at that time for black men to hold important posts in Europe. In that play, Othello, the hero was not only black but was the commander of the Venetian army, leading his predominantly white forces and winning against the Turks who were in perennial conflict with the Venetians. He was commissioned to do a difficult job purely on merit and was not judged on the colour of his skin but on the contents of his character and manifest competence.

    The first Africans to land on North American soil were bought from a passing English ship in 1619 but were not treated as slaves. Like many whites working on farms at the time, they were treated as indentured servants who were free to live as full citizens after a prescribed period. After their period of servitude they were able to acquire lands like their white neighbours and could employ servants of their own. As time went on however, demand for cheap labour went up and state after state promulgated slave codes which abolished the tenured servant status for black people and created a heritable slave status on every black person. This Africans were, on the strength of the slave codes converted into chattel to be sold, bought and otherwise exchanged at the whim of their white owners. From that point onward, they had become items of trade and remained so by law until their fraudulent emancipation in 1865. Human generation time has been fixed at thirty years which means that roughly ten generations of black people were born into slavery in the United States. The last person who was born a slave died in 1972 and it has been claimed that the last children of those born into slavery are quite possibly still alive. Another five generations of direct descendants of slaves have been produced since emancipation and American slavery has not yet been completely buried under the weight of history. A little dig today will expose the bones of slavery in America. The millions of Africans who have done nothing but suffer and died whilst creating wealth and criminal gentility for people who at least constitutionally think that they are only three fifths of a human. At least, they were thought to be marginally better than mules with which they worked side by sides out in the fields.

    Once Africans became items of commerce, it became imperative that their status be recalibrated and their human status permanently revoked thereby opening the door to racism which has since become the single most important determinant of status in the world today.

    Slavery has been a factor in practically all societies all over the world for several millennia but the virulent form which was inflicted on the world in the Americas was something completely unknown. For the first time in human history, slavery became an inheritable characteristic, to be passed down to coming generations ad infinitum and it was based on the colour of one’s skin. But when the colour of one’s skin became ambiguous or indeterminate as a result of racial mixing, a great deal of which was non-consensual, there was a recourse to blood. The iron rule in the USA is that if you could be connected to one drop of African blood reaching down to any number of generations, then you were classified as black with all the attendant consequences that your classification entails. In some other parts of the Americas, there is a hierarchy bypassed on skin tone with the lightest at the top and the darkest far down at the lowest level. In short, skin colour has been weaponised with those with dark skins relegated to the bottom. This only serves the purpose of ordering a world in which capitalism reigns supreme and as long as this is the case, true emancipation from slavery can only remain a pipe dream.

  • SNAPSONG 244

    SNAPSONG 244

    Memorable moments are made of these too

    The interlock of mating roaches

    On the kitchen floor, surprised by

    Hungry footsteps and winking lamps

    The slippery smile of the sink

    As spitting faucets wage a to-to-to war

    On its aluminum silence, while oily dishes

    Dread the fury of foaming sponges

    Have you ever eavesdropped the gossip

    Of house rats as they mock

    The laughable anger of bulbous-bellied

    Landlords who feast on nibbled leftovers

    Of last night’s mousy raid.

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     Kriririi kraaaa on dripping dishes

    Sleepless rage behind the doors

    Criminal canines are quick on the job

    The ceiling is the sky

    But not for gallant geckoes

    Their slippery slide, their gritty grab

    Their whitish droppings on the suffering sofa

    Memorable moments, memorable moments

    Domestic deal, unflattered deeds

    Beyond the royal bugle, far from

     The scam in the camera’s eye

  • Trump speech: repudiation of US global leadership

    Trump speech: repudiation of US global leadership

    United States president Donald Trump is used to being insulted. But luckily for him, not only has he developed a thick skin against insults, he has also become proficient in hurling invectives. His inaugural address last Monday was an example of how inaugural addresses should never be written. The speech was most remarkable for its repudiation of America’s global leadership. In his first term, he enunciated that repudiation and attempted to execute it. But Americans and the rest of the world were so shocked by that seismic redirection that they attempted a pushback. That pushback led by President Joe Biden lasted for four years, and enjoyed only partial success. Now, as Mr Trump doubles down on his first term policies in his inauguration address, that audacious and provocative policy of isolationism will now be reinforced to the hilt.

    If a million commentaries were written on Mr Trump’s inauguration speech, it would clearly still not be enough. He treaded on many old grounds and beliefs, and casually broke new ones. He barely acknowledged his predecessors, who silently endured the ordeal of listening to his long and dreary speech, and largely ignored their contributions to America’s greatness. And, with all the grandiloquence and foulness he could muster, he deprecated their presidencies and insulted their persons. The speech was all about him, his deep sense of insecurity, his messianism, his superficialities, and lack of historical perspective. It mimicked and is suffused by his colloquialisms, and it lacks any iota of inspiration in language and style as well as in substance and reality. The speech chased shadows, or was chased by shadows. It was not just unworthy of being called a speech, let alone an inauguration address, it was also provocatively bad in every detail.

    No single paragraph holds redemptive value. Four of his predecessors sat grimly and listlessly through the thoroughly vexatious speech, hoping that every next paragraph would ameliorate the badness of the preceding paragraph. But every next statement is worse than the previous, until finally the ordeal comes to an end in a string of hubristic attestation of American strength and boasting that seems eerily apocalyptic. In the very second paragraph of the address, President Trump begins needling his predecessors, insinuating that they wasted opportunities and that America got worse under them. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponisation of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous and free. America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before.”

    Put simply, to Mr Trump, he is the all-American icon: resplendent, transcendental and unparalleled. He thinks his first four years unequalled; now he is convinced the next four years will set him above George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, or all of them put together, as he makes America ‘far more exceptional than ever before’. The phrase ‘than ever before’ will go on to be the leitmotif of his address, and probably his presidency. He is not just a narcissist, he is also delusional and megalomaniacal. Hear him: “Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250 year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you.” He thinks he was challenged more than President Washington (War of Independence), Lincoln (American civil war, Emancipation Act) and President Roosevelt (World War II). The mere hint of that megalomania is not just fiendish, it is also inflammatory.

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    In the sixth paragraph, there is no let up on his boasting. It seems muted at first, but it soon soars to crazy and unpalatable heights as he rechristens his inauguration. Says he: “For American citizens, January 20th, 2025 is Liberation Day. It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.” It takes excess of stupidity and sycophancy to contemplate that Mr Trump’s election ‘is the greatest and most consequential ever’. The statement is remarkable for what it has not said openly, that the election, in his deluded mind, is all about reclaiming the country for white America. All other gestures to all religions, race and gender are mere tokenism.

    Now to his aggressive agenda borne out of his eclecticism. “As Commander in Chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions and that is exactly what I am going to do. We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before.” Everything about his programme, in line with his insecurities, must simply be compared with those of his predecessors, or they were not worthy or grand enough. Everything is about upturning other leaders’ legacies. It is a miracle that President Biden walked out of the Capitol Rotunda unaided at the end of the inauguration, given how Mr Trump savaged him and his policies, so gracelessly, so peevishly, and so populist. His supporters hailed him, validating the description Hillary Clinton gave them as the deplorables. He would end the Green New Deal and…revoke the electric vehicle mandate, “saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers. In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice. We will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago.” While the world is marching furiously ahead with new technologies, under President Trump, America would march furiously backwards repudiating clean energy, climate change ameliorations, and electric vehicle. Four years of marching backwards will ineluctably cost America dozens of years in the future.

    And then there were a number of non sequiturs in Mr Trump’s address, ideas and inchoate policies so befuddling that only a warped and uneducated mind could contemplate them. Hear him: “I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.” He presumes that there will be no retaliations, or that the countries at the receiving end of his tariffs and taxes will roll over and die. In his first term, he had limited success in that sector; now he plans to revive and strengthen suspect policies. They will, of course, end up being counterproductive; and will injure American interests far beyond what he hopes to gain in the short run.

    And still on his chimerical pursuit of American greatness, he exhales: “Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.” But they already have the strongest military. Perhaps he sees the Abraham Accords that seeks a rapprochement between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain as the pivot on which to build a great foreign policy. Well, it took a few bombings by Iranian Middle East proxies, chiefly Hamas, to torpedo the agreement. Mr Trump trivialises the dynamics of international politics; he will come to grief sooner than he thinks, for rather than be bullied, the rest of the world will ignore, scoff at and ridicule his naivety.

    He will rename the Gulf of Mexico, he thunders, and take the Panama Canal back. Beyond the revisionism at play, Mr Trump has become a regular Rip van Winkle. But the world has changed in ways which old-fashioned, gung-ho American policies can never reverse. He disdains his neighbours, Mexico and Canada, and taunts and affronts them, and boastfully swears that he could end the Russo-Ukrainian War in one day. He tried similar tricks in his first term, even lobbying and romancing dictatorships; but he came to grief. He will soon find out how hard it is to pacify the world. The danger, however, is that once the world moves beyond America’s renascent isolationism, there will be no going back, and it might very well sound the death knell of the American Empire, or at least the beginning of the end.

    It was tough for President Biden to endure Mr Trump’s harangue, but the old warhorse bore the childish vituperations of his successor with fortitude. Mrs Clinton repeatedly blanched with horror during the speech, and President George W. Bush winced now and again. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama kept an expressionless face. They must all be genuinely petrified that America, the America dozens of great US presidents built on the foundations of a great and incomparable constitution, stands the risk of being irreparably and irreversibly damaged by a churlish, dysfunctional and self-centred president who, in another clime, could never have risen to the presidency. There is something about democracy that is inherently good and contradistinctively evil, inspiring and depressing at the same time. Mr Trump exemplifies the latter without giving any hint of the possibility of engendering the former. Incredibly, he speaks of the beginning of America’s golden age, but not his contrasting lack of competence and capacity, nor of the deep and countervailing fissures of American society. There was nothing uplifting or soaring about his speech, except coarseness, bullying, street language and religious pettiness. No empire lasts forever, as Rule Britannia attested to in the last century, and no great power retains its strength and vitality for all time, as also the Empire of the Incas, Napoleon’s France, and Carolingian Empire’s Charlemagne illustrated centuries and millennia ago. Having elected Mr Trump as their president, America must now brace up for a rough and disquieting ride; so, too, the rest of the world, which may soon discover that their fascination with America was built on dangerous illusions. And as he leads the US to exit the global power stage, an ambitious nation will seek to exploit the vacuum.

  • Nigerian evangelicals’ fascination with Trump

    Nigerian evangelicals’ fascination with Trump

    President Donald Trump’s electoral triumph has exposed and concretised the unremorseful political partisanship of Nigerian evangelicals. In the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, they ignored logic and defied their conscience and went ahead to openly campaign for someone they believed would best represent their sectarian interest, not the interest of the country. They were unbothered by their insularity. At the inauguration ceremonies of US president Trump, particularly the non-governmental and non-political inaugural prayer breakfast, some Nigerian evangelicals ministered, an indication that they rooted for the Republican Party candidate, and exulted his victory. Their Nigerian candidate, Peter Obi, lost badly in the 2023 poll, only for them to discover that the ogre they thought the All Progressives Candidate (APC) to be was unreal. What if in the coming months and years they discover Mr Trump to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

    Over the millennia, the church has always fared very badly when they foray into politics. Over the centuries they have transmogrified from personifying peace to embodying the most appalling forms of venality, greed, torture, bloodshed and mayhem, and from revivalist dependence on the Spirit to supine embrace of and dependence on the flesh. Their predilections served them badly in Nigeria; they are unlikely, together with their American counterparts, to serve them well in the United States. Before the elections, the devious Mr Trump postured as the champion of the evangelicals, not even the champion of Christianity – for the two are different – but at his inauguration he declined to swear on the bible, though his longsuffering wife dutifully placed them at his reach. The truth is that Mr Trump is irreligious, and couldn’t care less what the rubric of the Christian faith looks or sounds like. He sees Christianity as a tool to be harnessed for political goals, in the service of his deeply divisive, malicious and malevolent career.

    Nigerian evangelicals have learnt nothing from the 2023 Nigerian elections. Rather than view society and politics with the circumspect eyes of the Spirit of God, they continue to blunder into partisanship, anchoring it on poor scriptural interpretations. By attending the so-called prayer breakfast last week, they lent credence to Mr Trump’s politics, ideas and lifestyle. They naively see him as a modern-day Cyrus the Great (who founded the Achaemenid Empire in 550 BC and ruled until his death in 530 BC) who was used by God to execute an agenda (Isaiah 44 – 45). But they forget that God neither needs their help nor has he told them he would use Mr Trump’s hateful and spiteful agenda against the ‘enemies’ of America. By the way, Cyrus was a far better and more competent leader than Mr Trump. Read his history. The Episcopalian bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, who coaxed and admonished Mr Trump on the principles and practice of love in the face of immigrant crisis and sexual deviancy, among other pressing challenges to the American society, received the full and remorseless length of his tongue. The evangelicals who hail him think that political and legislative solutions would solve the crisis of sexual permissiveness plaguing America; in other words, what the church began in the Spirit could, because of spiritual laziness, be accomplished in the flesh.

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    It is true that previous US administrations had given free rein to all sorts of decadence, and there was indeed danger of American society either imploding or descending into outright bestiality. But there is nothing in the history of the early church, which laid the foundations of Christianity, to indicate that the church excels in political pushback. Traditionally, and notwithstanding technological advancements and information overload, the church had always needed revival and spiritual rebirth to push its Kingdom of God agenda. But in America, which Nigerian evangelicals ape, they believe in electing a political champion in whose unworthy and tremulous hands they repose the hope of societal reformation and change. By lying in bed with characters like Mr Trump, the church signals the repudiation of the scriptures in favour of the power of flesh and horses. Mr Trump will be their ruin. There are millions of sexual deviants scurrying around in America, and millions more of illegal immigrants. The methods advocated by the church’s champion in dealing with these societal challenges will test the fundamentals of the Christian faith to their elastic limit, especially when the shrill cries of children and the dispossessed rend the heavens.

    The church in Nigeria has fared badly and embarrassingly in recent years in their exegesis of tithes and prosperity, two topics that have been misinterpreted and exploited; now they seem adamant in toeing the controversial line of their American evangelical brethren. Yet, they were sired mostly by British and European churches, but since those forebears acquired football and went overboard in their secularism, Nigerian evangelicals have quickly adopted American evangelicals as their source and champions. There is nothing wrong with being mentored; but it is dangerous when the Scripture which should be the real and ultimate mentor is replaced by human and charismatic mentors. A terrible affliction is ravaging the body of Christ; Mr Trump will apotheosise that perversion in ways that would be difficult to remedy. While Americans brace for the Trump phenomenon, Nigerians, particularly the evangelicals, who see him as a godsend against queers and all other deviants must also brace for a terrible backlash. The Nigerian evangelicals exposed themselves to ridicule over tithes and prosperity; it is alarming that they appear ignorant of what they may be exposing themselves to in their embrace of the irreverent Mr Trump, a small and modern parallel of the abomination that maketh desolate…

  • Electricity transmission tower vandals deserve the death penalty

    Electricity transmission tower vandals deserve the death penalty

    “The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday announced that vandals plunged 60 per cent of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) into darkness. This followed the vandals’ removal of the 132kV transmission line and underground cables conveying electricity to the Central Area and its environs.

    They did not only destroy cables, they carted away 40 meters of 1x500mm XLPE conductor on the 132KV transmission lines.

    The ICIR reports that Millennium Park is a stone’s throw from the Presidential Villa, housing  the President, the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and other prominent government institutions” – TCN in a public announcement published in several Nigerian newspapers on Saturday, 18 January, 2025.

    I am by no means a lover, or  fan of the death penalty, but one day soon Nigeria, not only Abuja and Lagos, will  wake up into utter and complete darkness. Avarice, misdemeanours – corruption in general – has so deeply eaten into the Nigerian fabric that while the big ogas are stealing with their biro pens, the supposedly poor, the hoi polloi,  probably as agents of the  rich, are either vandalising electricity transmission towers, carrying away huge transmission cables, scooping highly inflammable fuel from distressed petrol – bearing tankers to their peril or, in major Nigerian  cities, shamelessly removing giant sewage manhole covers with narry a thought to the probable  consequences of  their heinous  crimes.

    As things stand in our country today, I haven’t the slightest doubt some Nigerians can  attempt to steal daylight itself. That is how rotten – please pardon the language – things have become in our beloved country that one can say, with all the agony, that there was,  indeed, a country!

    We keep abusing our political leaders whereas, given the opportunity, literally every Nigerian will fail the integrity test. That exactly is how bad things have become in a, once upon a time, land of honour

    May God help us. 

    Please let nobody tell me these are the results of oil subsidy removal or currency floatation because for ages, some Nigerians have deliberately dismantled NEPA infrastructure, carrying away the cables or paving way for generator sellers, while some ensured that  our refineries hardly ever worked for any substantial length of time, despite the billions spent on turnaround maintainance. 

    The Nigerian power sector has been plagued by various challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, little or even negligible generation over the years, as well as inefficient transmission   systems, and rampant vandalism among others.

    Vandalism has become a major threat to the country’s power infrastructure with transmission towers and other critical installations being literally uprooted in several parts of the country. The consequences  are incalculable –  power outages, economic losses, even loss of lives.

    Vandalism has become so bad the Federal government must now ensure, working with the National Assembly, that our laws are given the needed teeth to deal with these national economic wreckers. It now appears quite obvious that only the death penalty can serve as adequate deterrent to these nihilists. Unfortunately, as we saw in the case of armed robbery, the death penalty will not completely eradicate vandalism but without a scintilla of doubt it will very substantially reduce this new drag on the Nigerian economic development.

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    Vandalism in the Nigerian power sector is a pervasive problem that has been ongoing for years. Transmission towers, substations, and other critical infrastructure have always been targeted by vandals, resulting in disruption to power supply.

    The motivations for these attacks vary, but are mostly driven by a desire for financial gain. Vandals steal critical components such as copper wire and transformers, which they then sell to their collaborators in the black market. It is believed to be  used also  as a means of extorting money from power companies.

    The consequences of vandalism in the power sector are severe and extremely  far-reaching. Power outages, which can last for days,  weeks or months, will naturally, adversely impact  businesses, hospitals, and other critical  organisations.

    SME’s are usually the worst hit, resulting in stoppage of their operations, and causing significant economic losses.

    It is believed that Nigeria loses billions of naira each year due to vandalism-related power outages.

    Vandalism, and the attendant power outages also have  considerable human cost as they result in increased mortality rates in hospitals where surgeries, as well as the maintainance of critical medical equipments, depend on stable power supply. These are beside the fact that consistent power outages facilitate increased criminalities and insecurity.

    It must be noted that government, at various levels, is trying to moderate, if not completely eradicate vandalism in the power sector

    For instance, the Electricity and Gas Regulations Commission (NERC) has established rules to prevent, and detect vandalism while the Nigeria Police Force has established a special task force to investigate and prosecute cases of vandalism.

    All these, sad to say, have proved so ineffective that  the Nigerian national grid has collapsed severally in the past  leading to almost zero power, nationally, on many occasions.

    As a result of vandalism combined with other reasons like poor infrastructure and paucity of funds, the grid collapsed 12 times in 2024, including on October 16, 2024, when it collapsed twice in 24 hours.

    The grid’s frequent collapses have raised concerns about the stability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure to correct which, the government, regulatory bodies, and the power sector need to work together to improve infrastructure, enforce maintenance protocols, and ensure financial viability.

    These frequent collapses  is the reason one fears that the country may, very soon, experience a sustained period of ZERO POWER, even for days, and we yet won’t hear that any of the fat cats in charge has been fired. It has always been business as usual.

    Indeed, current penalties for vandalism, which include fines and imprisonment, are so inadequate they have no capacity to deter any would-be vandal – the reason it is time the National Assembly does its bounden duty of putting in place, appropriate laws to check the terrorism these vandals daily visit on hapless Nigerians.

    Needless to say,  the lack of effective prosecution, and punishment, for those found guilty has further  aggravated the  culture of impunity that if things remain as they currently are, Nigerians may not have seen anything yet.

    Concluding, the imposition of the death penalty will certainly serve as a strong deterrent to would-be vandals, fully aware that engaging in vandalism could result in the ultimate penalty. It would also reflect the severity of the crime which, as we have shown,  can have incalculable economic and human costs.

    The imposition of the death penalty would be a strong statement of intent, demonstrating the government’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring reliable supply of power to the citizenry.

  • Week of beating paparazzi and mending Ogoni wounds

    Week of beating paparazzi and mending Ogoni wounds

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu showed another side to his personality last week. As President, he is always under the spotlight, there is hardly anything he does that does not get looked into or discussed, his quiet time is almost also subjected to the periscope. Just like the social media has decided to make the personal lives of celebrities its business, the goings-in and out of any ‘public figure’, especially the President, become news items for the news grid. President Tinubu has especially been a regular item.

    For instance, the media always makes it its duty to track the President’s whereabouts from time to time, especially when he is offshore. That has always been the modus in dealing with all leaders, not just Tinubu, but it has become more pronounced under the President, so pronounced that some outlets seeking attention have resorted to corrupting that task by almost everything to negatives. In many of such cases, the media always failed to see the merit of his diplomatic efforts, rather they resort to counting the Naira and Kobo, which measure negligibly against his end target.

    However, this time around we were already on the lookout for his return from the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, where he went to attend the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW2025), on the invitation of the President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, but he did not show up as expected, or should I say we could not see him coming. The prior privileged information was that he would be returning on Saturday evening, but all other indicators that ought to announce his arrival at the expected date and time went bleak, no idea of the President’s arrival.

    So we entered the last week believing Baba was still abroad and that there might not be much activities around the corridors of power, especially as his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, had also left the country for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Reaching the State House on Monday, just for the purposes of fulfilling all righteousness and earning the day’s pay, or just whiling the time out, reporters were shocked to realise that President Tinubu was at his desk in his office.

    Apparently, the President returned as scheduled on Saturday, but also ensured to deliberately keep that part very discreet; all the effects that could have alerted the media to his return were delicately avoided; no helicopter noise above my roof, no arrival video of picture, even the security details usually sighted along the route from the Presidential Villa and the airport were concealed by the night’s cover. He left us no clue.

    It initially felt like dereliction to me because in the past, I have been very apt monitoring arrivals and departures of the President, just like I did during his predecessor’s time, but this one beat me and I was wondering ‘how did I miss this?’. I however came to the conclusion that it was actually deliberately orchestrated to pass a message; if Tinubu decides to be invincible to the media, he can be really out of sight, even while he does his things. If I am allowed to say it, I would say Mr. President pulled another ‘idan stunt’ on us, despite our acclaimed eagle-eyed watch.

    Healing the Wounds of Ogoniland

    Meanwhile, last week, the President took a decisive step towards resolving decades of discord and environmental degradation in Ogoniland. Meeting with Ogoni leaders and the Rivers State government, using the time to make a heartfelt appeal for unity and cooperation as the federal government considers the resumption of oil production in the Ogoni axis of Rivers State—a venture fraught with historical pain and community division.

    The scars of Ogoniland’s troubled past are deep. The brutal execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists in 1995, alongside the tragic deaths of the four Ogoni chiefs in 1994, left the community fractured and embittered. These events etched a painful legacy of environmental degradation and political strife. But as President Tinubu aptly noted, while history cannot be rewritten, there is a pressing need to “correct some anomalies of the past going forward.”

    At the heart of this dialogue lies a complex challenge: the Ogoni community remains divided, with some aligning themselves with the memory of the “Ogoni Four,” and others with the “Ogoni Nine.” President Tinubu acknowledged these fractures but urged the people to look beyond their differences. “We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” he said. This call for reconciliation was underscored by his directive to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to lead inclusive negotiations aimed at fostering mutual understanding.

    The President’s remarks carried a tone of personal connection and responsibility. “It has been many years since your children and myself partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country,” he reminded the delegation. Tinubu’s acknowledgment of his historical ties with Ogoni activists served as a poignant reminder that he, too, has walked the path of struggle. His words, “I know what to do in memory of our beloved ones so that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” resonated as a promise to honour those who paid the ultimate price for justice and environmental sustainability.

    Read Also: Tinubu orders construction of more roads in FCT area councils – Wike

    In his bid to pave the way for peace and progress, the President emphasized collaboration at all levels. He directed the Rivers State Government, ministers, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to work in concert with the Office of the National Security Adviser to bring about a resolution. The meeting, as he described it, was not just a dialogue but an opportunity “to bring peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoniland.”

    Yet, achieving this vision requires more than government intervention—it demands community buy-in. The President urged the delegation to return home and engage in deeper consultations, ensuring all voices are heard. “Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others,” he said. This call for inclusivity reflects an understanding that no lasting solution can be imposed from above. Instead, it must arise from the grassroots, from the very people who have borne the brunt of Ogoniland’s challenges.

    President Tinubu’s approach also underscores the importance of trust, a scarce commodity in a region where promises of environmental remediation and economic development have often gone unfulfilled. By commending the delegation for embracing dialogue, he sought to lay the foundation for rebuilding that trust. “We must work together with mutual trust,” he emphasized—a sentiment that will be crucial as the community navigates the complexities of reconciliation and resource extraction.

    The stakes are high. Beyond resolving historical grievances, the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland has the potential to revitalize the local economy and bring much-needed development to the region. However, this can only be achieved if all parties—the Federal Government, the Rivers State Government, and the Ogoni people—commit to a shared vision of peace and prosperity.

    As the President concluded, the moment is ripe for healing and progress. “It is a great honour for me to have this meeting,” he said, acknowledging the significance of the occasion. Indeed, the dialogue represents a crucial step towards turning the page on Ogoniland’s painful past and charting a new course for its future.

    The path ahead will not be easy. But if President Tinubu’s words are any indication, there is hope that the people of Ogoniland can finally come together to build a legacy of unity, environmental restoration, and economic empowerment—one that honours the sacrifices of the past while looking firmly towards the future.

    Renewed Hope for Nigeria’s Armed Forces

    Then on Thursday President Tinubu unveiled his Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigeria’s Armed Forces. He once again demonstrated his commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s security infrastructure with the groundbreaking ceremony for a new defence complex and the inauguration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Army Barracks in Abuja. The dual event symbolized more than a construction project; it was a bold declaration of his administration’s vision for a well-equipped and professional military.

    “This ceremony marks the start of a construction project and the foundation of a renewed commitment to our military and the values we hold dear as a democracy,” the President declared. His words underscored the strategic importance of fortifying Nigeria’s defence capabilities at a time when the nation is recording significant successes in combating various security challenges.

    The President used the occasion to express gratitude to Nigeria’s armed forces, commending their dedication and resilience in the face of adversity. “I want to use this moment to personally commend the remarkable efforts of our armed forces under the leadership of the CDS, General CG Musa, who stands guard with the Service Chiefs and men against the evil forces that seek to retard our cherished peace and development,” he said.

    Tinubu’s acknowledgment of the troops’ sacrifices resonated deeply, reflecting his understanding of the essential role they play in safeguarding national unity and peace. “Your dedication, courage, and resilience protect our freedoms and uphold the very principles upon which our nation was founded,” he added.

    With the promise to support military personnel and their families, the President reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring a modern and capable defence force. “Under our Renewed Hope Administration, I reaffirm my commitment to building a well-equipped and truly professional military that embodies our nation’s pride,” Tinubu vowed.

    This groundbreaking event not only lays the foundation for physical infrastructure but also signals a renewed hope for a stronger and more secure Nigeria.

    Besides the events and occasions highlighted already, the week was loaded with other very significant events, including the announcement of forty-five appoints into various federal government agency offices on Friday, as well welcoming three new ambassadors to Nigeria, including that of Finland, to whom he spoke on the arrest of Simon Ekpa openly, for the first time.

    A new week starts today, coming with its own activities. Like I always say, let us wait to see what it holds.

  • The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (IV)

    The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (IV)

    The impetus for the voyages of discovery after the fall of Constantinople was to find a way to get to India with the solid purpose of having access to the exotic products of the East. The appetites for these luxuries had been developed when the Crusaders, in an effort to ‘deliver the Holy land’ from the Muslims whom they regarded as infidels, sent waves of Christian armies into Palestine. Over a period of four hundred years of so, or as far as many inhabitants of that region are concerned, up till the present time, armies from Europe have marched into Palestine to wreak havoc on the indigenous people of that region in the name of their Christian God. Although the crusaders seized a lot of land from Islamic forces and even captured Jerusalem and ruled from there for some time, they did not succeed in making that city wholly theirs. Their eyes were however open to all the wonders of the Orient which could not be found for love or money in any part of their partially frozen territories. One example will suffice. Before the Crusades, all European textiles were woven from flax of wool, materials which were heavy, scratchy and not amenable to fashion statements. The Crusaders were introduced to cotton in the Holy land and from then were not satisfied with their ugly woollen clothes.

    When the Ottomans finally closed the land routes to the rich markets of the East, the Europeans, desperate to continue with the tradition of dependence on the luxuries they had become used to, responded by taking to the open seas in an attempt to continue to be supplied with all the tid bits that their pampered pallets could not be deprived of.

    The situation in which the Europeans found themselves was a classical case of finding a way because they had a will. Within half a century of the fall of Constantinople, the Europeans led on the one hand by the Spanish and the Portuguese on the other had succeeded in reaching the New World and on their own the Portuguese had managed to sail all the way to India. In doing so, another vista was opened up for European exploitation.

    The first Europeans to arrive in India were the Portuguese who had to sail all the way around what they called the Cape of Good Hope and after that, up the east coast of Africa and on onto the Indian Ocean. By the time the Portuguese arrived in the Indian Ocean, in the closing years of the fifteenth century, they found that the peoples in that region had been trading with India and places further east for several centuries if not millennia. Indeed the last stage of their journey to India was with the help of an experienced pilot who was taken on board at Malindi in present day Kenya. Upon arrival in India, the Portuguese found that there was a great deal of trading between the Muslims and Indians and this led to a great deal of rivalry between the two groups.

    The real penetration of India by Europeans did not start for another hundred years and it started with the formation of the British East Indian Company which received its charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600. This charter permitted the company to carry on trade with India virtually on its own terms, terms which were developed along the way and at the pleasure of the share holders of the company. Their pleasure was in no short measure as the shareholders were soon reaping a 30% yearly profit on their investment. The English were not the only ones trading in the Far East as both the Dutch and the French, not to talk of the Spanish and Portuguese had a very active interest in the trade of the Orient. The Dutch were however not much interested in trade with India as their focus was primarily on Indonesia and other such places further east. It needs be said that the Dutch were as vicious in the East as they were in the West where they held Surinam in a vicious grip. Their undiluted viciousness was however reserved for their colonies in South Africa where they spoilt their name forever with their cruel system of apartheid, a system they refined and practised in the Republic of South Africa until the liberation of that country in 1994. But that is another story entirely.

    The English traders set up their stalls in the coastal cities of India and began to take in spices, textiles of many kinds but principally of cotton and jewellery. Further east, they were trading in tea with China and making humongous profits in both places. Some of their tactics were brutal as their control of trade was maintained by a huge army which at one time consisted of a quarter of a million men, larger than the British army of the time. This army was also put in the field against the French who wanted part of the action against the wishes of the British traders to maintain a monopoly of both trade and sharp practices. The British under the leadership of Robert Clive finally broke the power of both the French and powerful local empires around 1760 to set up a monopoly of violence and naked coercion over increasingly large portions of India, especially the area around the Bay of Bengal which at that time was regarded as the richest region of the world.

    Read Also: The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (III)

    Once British hegemony was established in many parts of India, the rape of the sub-continent began in earnest. Such was the rapaciousness of British East India Company in that region that the newly independent countries of India and Pakistan had to restart their respective economies in 1947. This is sharp contrast to their economic situation in 1760 when British exploitation began. At that time, the GDP of India was calculated to 23% of global GDP. By the time the British left in 1947, the figure had been deflated to 4%. The Indian sub-continent had been systematically looted by the British. Incidentally, even the language was not spared as loot is one of the words in the English language which was stolen from India! Perhaps their most egregious item of theft was however the destruction of the extensive, innovative and rich textile culture of the people of the Bay of Bengal. Their ability to produce high quality textiles, developed over many centuries was cynically destroyed by the policies of the British East India Company which broke up their looms and made laws to prevent Indian weavers from plying their trade, the centre of which was subsequently transferred to the Northwest of England to set up the cotton mills of Manchester. The inferior but lurid textile products of Manchester and surrounding towns ruled the world for more than a century, sending millions of yards of their cheap products all over the world including Africa where the large scale local production of textiles was stopped in its tracks.

    The conduct of the British East India Company was so corrupt and brutal that her holdings in India were forcibly taken over by the British government in 1857. For the next ninety years, India was a British colony and part of the vast British empire on which the sun was said never to set. At any given time of day or night, the sun was shining on part of the empire.

    At the height of its powers, the British East India Company shifted it’s attention to China from where it was exporting tea to Britain. The Chinese insisted in being paid in silver for their tea, a commodity which the company could not provide in sufficient quantities to cover costs. This vile Company then took to smuggling opium into China to pay for the tea with which they tried to satisfy customer demand in Britain. Tea became such a key aspect of British tradition right until now so much so that the evening meal is referred to as tea. With sugar pouring into Britain from the Caribbean and tea from China, the British soon developed the (disgusting) habit of adding sugar to their tea and compounding their heresy by adding milk to the brew. Tea drinking became such an abstraction that the British were comfortable with committing despicable crimes against humanity in two global hemispheres. They forced Indian farmers to switch from growing food crops to producing opium which was smuggled into China. Thus they spread hunger in India and debilitating drug addiction in China. The situation in China was so bad that millions of people became incapable of contributing anything to the Chinese economy which went into a steep decline. The Chinese government took steps to stop this illegal trade but the British responded by declaring war against the Chinese in order to force them to continue allowing the importation of opium which was destroying the very fabric of their society. In trying to enforce her own laws, the Chinese not only banned the importation of opium but confiscated all the opium held by British traders. The opium seized was then destroyed and this led directly to a declaration of war. Using superior weapons and tactics, the British won a decisive victory forcing the Chinese to allow the entry of opium to their country in addition to paying compensation for the destruction of their opium. For good measure, the British seized Hong Kong and surrounding islands which were not returned to Chinese control until a hundred years later under what is referred to as the one nation, two systems arrangement. China must wait until 2047 to regain full control of the territory she lost in the First Opium war.

    The Treaty of Nanjing which ended the First opium war was manifestly unfair to the Chinese who out of desperation abrogated the treaty. As they had done before, they seized and destroyed the opium stocks held by foreign traders and as before, they were attacked, this time by a joint task force made of troops from Britain, France, USA and Russia. The outcome was the same this time as the Chinese were properly screwed up yet again.  Not only did they have to pay a hefty compensation for the opium destroyed but they had to open up their country to trade with virtually all countries on terms which were injurious to the Chinese. In the course of fighting, the Summer Palace was expertly looted and then burnt down to the ground by British and French troops. Some of the artefacts carted away from the palace are still classified as missing. This can be regarded as some sort of rehearsal for the sacking of the Benin palace in 1897 when thousands of irreplaceable art works were carried off, many of them never to be seen again. The Chinese found their experience so traumatic that the period of the Opium wars is still referred to in China as the century of humiliation.

    All the activities mentioned above led to an unprecedented accumulation of wealth mainly by Britain at a time when such wealth was not seen anywhere else. What more, this wealth was concentrated in private hands to be used as the owners damned well pleased. As an illustration, it has been calculated that Robert Clive arrived in India without a penny in his pocket but by the time he finally came back to Britain he was worth in contemporary terms more than £350 million, gathered within a twenty year period. This money was available for launching the Industrial revolution which lit all those fires under capitalism. This is why for more than a hundred and fifty years, Britain was far and away the most powerful nation on earth with power enough to create the entity called Nigeria, virtually on a whim.

    • To be continued  
  • Dr Segun Osoba: My highly reverred teacher at 90

    Dr Segun Osoba: My highly reverred teacher at 90

    In a short commendation to the  award winning journalist, Bola Bolawole, after reading his beautiful tribute to Dr Segun Osoba on his 90th birthday anniversary this past week, I wrote:”Bola thanks for this article in honour of my Number One,  absolutely incomperable Teacher, Dr Segun Osoba. That I didn’t keep up my relationship with him is a shame I will never be able to explain”.

    As if he knew how   tortured I have been for years, that is, since I missed the appointment I had with the late Professor  Abubakar Momoh, who visits Dr Osoba regularly, to break the ice by visiting together with him, Bola replied: “E se pupo sir! You can still do sir!”.

    That hit me like a rubber bullet.

    Bola is right but he wrote so cavalierly  because he doesn’t know how very dearly Dr Osoba held me.

    He not only considered me among the top ten percent of all the students he ever taught, he so believed in me that he, and his late bosom friend, Mr Sesan Dipeolu of blessed memory, the University of Ife Librarian, very confidently recommended me, behind my back I must add, to their friend and University of Ibadan classmate, Mr S.J Okudu, then Registrar, University of Ibadan, to look no further for the Administrative officer the University Council had mandated him to headhunt to come and drive the preparations for the University’s humongous 25th Anniversary due November 17, 1973.

    Leaving the University of Ife Vice- Chancellor’s office, where I was assisting Mr GJO Adegbite, Professor Oluwasanmi’s Executive Assistant, on account of that introduction, was hell. Indeed, so bad did the Deputy Vice- Chancellor, Professor A. A. Adegbola take it that the University ensured I forfeited an Association of African Universities’ scholarship, contested for by all First class and Second class (Upper) graduates on the staff of the University, to undertake a Masters degree programme at the University of Legon, Ghana. To put it mildly, that event changed my entire life trajectory.

    But that is a matter for another day.

    Suffice it to say, however, that Dr Osoba had, even long before that, said he had ‘lost me the day I went into University administration rather than academics’, after graduating on top of my faculty.

    Fortunately, he couldn’t have felt the loss much because, pretty soon, many of his former students, the likes of  the world reputed Professor Toyin Falola, would soon start shining like a thousand stars in the academic world.

    In my own little corner, however, I continued to regret the literal separation because nothing would have been greater for me than being right there under his academic wings.

    An example would put this in perspective.

    About two weeks ago, I finished proofreading the Galleyproof of my book: ‘Simply A Citizen Journalist’, my  would – be magnum opus, to be formally presented, by the grace of God later in the year, only to realise that Dr Osoba, a man who so infinitely impacted my life, did not feature as much as I would have liked.

    To my chagrin, the only other reference to him, other than the one already mentioned, is  in the article ‘Re:

    Azikiwe and The Unifying Question’, of November 25, 2012  from which the following quote is culled:

    “Chief Olabode George, a one time PDP poster boy in the South West, is a colourful politician, any day. He has, since his return from abroad about a fortnight ago, a non event really, but which witnessed the usual uniform – wearing ensemble, massed again at the Lagos International Airport to welcome home the man whose generosity to the party’s womenfolk as Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority was legendary.

    He has since taken off from where he left, keen this time on winning back some lost ground in a party which former President Olusegun Obasanjo has predicted may soon be history in Lagos State”.

    Read Also: Aremo Segun Osoba @ 80 – recollections of a reporter

    “Bode George and I were contemporaries in the Nigerian university system, he at the University of Lagos, and I at Ife, at a time when it was trendy to be involved in student activism and we both were.

    But more germane to this piece is the fact that we had a particular teacher in common, he while at Ijebu Ode Grammar School, and I, at the University of Ife. And that happens to be my most admired university teacher ever: Dr Segun Osoba, the clear-headed socialist scholar per excellence, who

    taught my Philosophy of History as well as Diplomatic History, and would later pair with Dr Bala Usman, another equally hard-headed radical historian, now of blessed memory, to author a minority report on the 1975-76 Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC)”.

    “I imagine that till today, Dr Osoba sees George as a witheringly brilliant person. Unfortunately, beyond the fluidity of his language in the referenced article , I searched in vain for his brilliance, or the cold logic you would have ordinarily expected in a critique of that nature.You read the article, especially his suggestions, and all you find is a Bode George desperately running away from his shadows; from the essential Bode George Nigerians have come to know  so well  as the actualiser of Obasanjo’s convoluted, swashbuckling, military-like, vice- grip on South-Western Nigeria …”.

    I ought to have done far better in a book authored by me in respect of a teacher who, without a scintilla of doubt, had the greatest impact on me intellectually, especially as a member of the Socialist Discussion Group which he co- founded with Mr Dipeolu and to which only very few of us, students belonged.

    Born January 9, 1935

    Dr Osoba attended Saint Saviour’s Primary Scool, Ijebu – Ode and Ijebu- Ode Grammar School from where he proceeded to the Nigerian College of Arts and Science, the University of Ibadan and Moscow State University where he obtained his Ph.D in 1967, in that order.

    On his return from the Soviet Union, he joined the University of Ife, Ile – Ife, where our paths crossed.

    Dr Osoba has taught several generations of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, researched and supervised hundreds of Masters and Ph.D students, especially in his core areas of: Philosophy and Methodology of History, History of Russia, both the Czarist Era as well as The Age of Revolution, History of European International Relations, African Political Thoughts in the 19th and 20th Centuries, the Politics of Decolonisation in Africa and Nigerian History in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

    I will never forget that of all the 6 subjects in which I earned ‘A’ in my final  degree examination, I worked the hardest in his  Philosophy and Methodology of History, and the History of European International relations(Diplomatic History). In Dr Osoba’s class, you simply had no alternative.

    A highly renowned historian and academic, Dr Osoba  reached a milestone birthday this past week, celebrating 90 years of life, learning, and legacy. As a former student, I cannot be happier  paying this tribute to one so absolutely deserving.

    As a teacher, his students, like many of his colleagues, considered him unparalleled. His passion for history was infectious, and his ability to make complex historical events look easy, and accessible to his students, despite the turgid language of Philosophy, for instance, seemed to me a gift of nature. He had a unique way of bringing history to life, making it relevant and engaging. His classes were always lively and interactive but always focussed on encouraging critical thinking and solid analysis, backed with facts.

     Looking back now, one of the very important lessons I learned from him was the importance of understanding the past in order to appreciate the present, with a view to shaping the future. He taught us that history is not just a series of dates and events, but a rich tapestry of human experiences, cultures, and traditions. He instilled in us a sense of pride and appreciation for our African heritage; something he considered a must, if we would ever escape the persistent struggle to shake off colonialism, especially its mental variety.

    He has been both mentor, and inspiration, to many young historians and scholars, providing guidance and support as they navigate their academic careers.

    As should be expected of such an intellectual giant,  his impact extends far beyond the classroom.

    He was such a persistent, and indeed, a leading voice for the emancipation of the Nigerian masses that the Federal Government could not help having him, as well as his razor chap, fellow historian, Dr Bala Usman, amongst the 50 wise men it appointed to write a new constitution for the country.

    To nobody’s surprise, both he and Dr Usman, of the 50, wrote a minority report which, had it been adopted by government would have completely changed the history of this country from the present “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop”, to one of equity, egalitarianism and rule of law.

    But they treated the minority report with benign neglect and left the  Nigerian masses permanently marooned in a devastating struggle for survival.

    Dr Osoba can justifiably say he has done his best for his country. His legacy will continue to inspire, and nurture coming generations.

    I am fortunate to have had the privilege of  learning from under his feet.

    And on behalf of all my classmates, who were blessed to be tutored by you, Sir, I say:

    Happy birthday and many happy returns.

  • Ayodele Fayose’s 2014 thank you rally in Ibadan

    Ayodele Fayose’s 2014 thank you rally in Ibadan

    If you could suspend political cynicism, suppress political skepticism, and, just for a moment, set aside political stereotypes and partisanship, you’ll discover there’s so much to enjoy in Nigerian politicking, and that there are so many profound truths to learn. That’s what I did and that’s what I experienced and gained watching the video of the Wednesday, 9 July, 2014 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) thank you rally in Ibadan following the victory of former Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose in the 21 June, 2014 Ekiti State governorship election.

    “PDP!” That was how, with a very loud shout, an umbrella-cum-walking-stick-carrying and dancing former Governor of Oyo State, Alao Akala, kicked off the rally. The mammoth crowd responded, “Power!” Again, he exclaimed, “PDP!” Again, the crowd responded: “Power!”, and he said, “Power to the People!” He then recognised party members present. These included the Governor-Elect of Ekiti State (Ayodele Fayose), the Chairman of the South West Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the PDP (Buruji Kashamu) and the Chairman of the party in Oyo State (Yinka Taiwo).

    After the recognitions, the politicking began, and Akala declared in English: “We in Oyo State PDP, we’re ready … for the elections. And I want to assure you that Oyo State is for grabs by PDP. … People in Oyo State are tired of APC [All Progressives Congress]. And by the grace of God, come year 2015, PDP is going to rule Oyo State.” He then raised a Yoruba song which was chorused by the audience: “Ó fé ìtójú nlá, ó fé àmójútó; ó fé ìtójú nlá, ó fé àmójútó; eni tó n se power, power tó wá fé di agbálè ojà, ó fé àmójútó. Ó fé àmójútó, ó fé ìtójú nlá; eni tó n se power télè tó tún wá di agbálè ojà, ó fé àmójútó. Mo le mo ba, mo tún gbàá padà. Mo le mo ba, mo tún gbàá padà. Mo le mo ba, mo tún gbàá padà. Mo le mo ba, mo tún gbàá padà. Ire gbogbo tó sonù lowó wa.”

    Shorn of all rhetorical repetition, the message of this song is that the person who was a member of the PDP and was chanting the slogan “Power”, but who thereafter wanted to or had actually defected to the APC and was carrying a broom (the symbol of the APC), like a market sweeper, required serious medical attention. His message also included the declaration that he and the PDP were diligently seeking to reclaim the governorship seat of Oyo State which he, as the incumbent governor, lost to the APC’s Abiola Ajimobi in 2011.

    He then addressed the audience, again in Yoruba, passing the following English-summarised message: Tell the ruling APC to be packing their things in readiness for a take-over of Oyo State by the PDP. And, stand by the PDP. He also declared: “Àwa lókàn.” (‘It’s our turn.’)  He underscored the now famous claim (“Àwa lókàn.”) by citing the Yoruba proverb “Oyè tó kan ará Ìwó n bò wá kan ará Ede.” (‘The chieftaincy given to the people of Iwo assures that the turn of the people of Ede will come.’) He also reasoned that as the PDP defeated the incumbent APC government in Ekiti State, so would the party defeat the incumbent APC government of Oyo State.

    The former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, who was the next to speak, made a very short speech. “PDP!”, he proclaimed. And the audience responded, “Power!” Again, he shouted out, “PDP!” And they responded again, “Power!” Then he spelt out the acronym of the party’s name: “P, D, and P!” And he raised his own song: “Mérin-mérin àròpò ebi ni o; mérin-mérin àròpò ebi ni o. Mérin-mérin àròpò ebi ni o; mérin-mérin àròpò ebi ni o.” (‘4+4 = Hunger.’ [i.e., should the electorate vote in the incumbent APC government in Oyo State, in 2015, for another four years, it would translate into more hunger.]) 

    As with the case of Alao Akala, there is a grand irony to the song, because Teslim Folarin, like Akala, defected from the PDP to the APC, and their new party organised a public reception for them and others at Mapo Hall Arcade in Ibadan on Saturday, 16 December, 2017. In fact, Folarin was the candidate of the APC for the governorship election in the state in 2023; and he remains a member of the APC till today. This development underscores the shiftiness of Nigerian politics. The political somersault of Akala and Folarin validate the Yoruba proverb, “Iná ilé l’omo ehoro ó yá gbèyìn.” (‘The young bush rabbit ends up keeping warm at the fireplace of the hunter’s home.’ [i.e., it will eventually be killed by the hunter and become roast meat.])

    Then came Fayose’s turn to address the audience. He started by saying, “PDP!” And the audience responded, “Power!” Again, he shouted out, “Power!” Then he raised the song: “Eni bá n fáyò ko nawó sokè; èmi n fáyò mo nawó.” (‘Those that want joy or love Peter Fayose, let them raise their hands; I want joy and love Fayose, so I raise my hand.’) Here, Fayose’s middle name “Ayòdélé’ (‘Joy which I experienced on my sojourn stayed with me even on my arrival home.’) This name is sometimes shortened as “Ayò”. When Fayose then asked that those who wanted “Ayò” should raise their hands, he was playing on the word “Ayò”, for rhetorical effect, because it was not likely that any member of the audience would not have liked joy. Now, in liking joy they concomitantly liked Fayose.

    Read Also: Tinubu’s reforms will bear fruits, says Fayose

    He raised another chorused song in which, through innuendo, he referred to the incumbent APC Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State as “Eléyí”, as follows: Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Bó gbé’ná karí!” Audience: “Yio lo!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!”  Fayose: “Eléyí ó lo!” Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Bó gbé’ná karí!”  Audience: “Yíó lo!” Fayose: “Bó gbé’ná karí!” Audience: “Yíó lo!”

    The key message of the song was that whatever gimmicks Ajimobi might play, “Eléyí ó lo!” (‘This one will go.’) As with other Asiwaju-Ahmed-Bola-Tinubu-popularised range of political expressions such as “Èmilókàn” and “Àwalókàn” at the Tinubu campaign speech of 3 June, 2022 in Abeokuta, “Eléyí” (that ultimate political put down) resonated at the 9 July, 2014 PDP rally in Ibadan.

    Like Akala and Folarin, Fayose appeared to be so sure that the PDP would defeat the APC in the governorship election in Oyo State in 2015. But this did not come to pass. APC retained the governorship of the state. The PDP’s grandstanding as shown in the speeches of the PDP’s leading members at the Ibadan rally therefore came to be a validation of the English proverb, “Talk is cheap.” This idea is more picturesquely expressed in the Yoruba proverb, “Enú dùn rò’fó.” (‘It’s easy to cook vegetables with the mouth.’)

    From the grim perspective, watching today the video of the 2014 Fayose thank you rally demonstrates the mortality of human beings. Alao Akala who was at his boisterous best at that event died on 12 January, 2022. The sturdy and confidently calm Buruji Kashamu died on 8 August, 2020. And the “Eléyí” of Oyo State, the vivacious Abiola Ajimobi, who was the primary object of rhetorical attack at the PDP rally, died on 25 June, 2020. As a Yoruba proverb articulates the lack of immunity to death, “Ikú ó pa eni à n pè; ikú ó pa eni tí n pe’ni.” (‘Death will kill the person we’re condemning, and death will kill the person condemning us.’) The challenge that the inevitability of death throws is therefore that life should be lived with humility, circumspection and a desire, at all times, to leave behind a noble and enduring legacy.

    Furthermore, in the 2014 thank you rally in Ibadan, Fayose underscored the value of ensuring a level playing field in the primaries of parties, and that he had no preferred candidate among the aspirants for the governorship ticket of the PDP in Oyo State. He appealed in English: “Let us work for the most popular candidate. There must be no imposition. … There must be no imposition. … The Muazu-led Exco gave me the rare opportunity of allowing a level playing ground which produced me as the candidate of the party [in Ekiti State]. … Let the best candidate win the election for the party.”

    It is significant that it was in Oyo State that Fayose was making the point about creating a level playing field for aspirants. In fact, it is widely agreed that imposing a governorship candidate on the APC in the state for the 2019 election accounted for the loss of the party in that year’s election. In protest against the perceived imposition, some dissatisfied aspirants and party members defected to other parties. Some of those who stayed back decided not to work for or vote for the APC’s governorship candidate. The PDP candidate, Seyi Makinde, therefore won the election. The incumbent Governor of Oyo State at the time, Abiola Ajimobi, who was believed to be the key actor in the imposition, was also made to lose in the senatorial election.

    In 2023, history repeated itself in the APC, as the governorship primary of the state was believed to have been manipulated with the acquiescence of the national hierarchy of the party; and Governor Seyi Makinde of the PDP won re-election for a second term in office. The question now is, “Would Oyo State APC learn from its bitter experience, follow Fayose’s invaluable counsel, and provide a level playing field in choosing its candidate for the 2027 governorship election?”

    Former Governor Ayodele Fayose is steadily building for himself the image of an astute politician. When he wanted to be governor for the first time, he identified water as a critical problem for his people. So, he got water tankers into Ekiti State to supply water free of charge to them. In appreciation, they voted for him, and he won. He also created the concept of ‘stomach infrastructure’ – those things that could be used to satisfy the immediate survival needs of the populace. Moreover, Fayose attended Governor Nyesom Wike’s end-of-tenure activities in Port Harcourt in 2023. At the programme, he counseled the then-Governor-Elect of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to be circumspect and avoid conflict with Wike, if he desired to enjoy his tenure. It’s not certain whether Fubara took Fayose’s advice, but crisis broke out between Wike and Fubara shortly after Fubara assumed office, and it continues till today.

  • Climate change: Another opportunity to reshape global economy

    Climate change: Another opportunity to reshape global economy

    It is a new week already and it is seeming to me like last week was so fleeting, it felt like two days short. When did we see the swearing-in ceremony of the new Ghanaian President that we have started talking of yet another week? The last week, though moved very fast, had a lot to talk about. For instance, it was the week Nigerians celebrated their fallen heroes, sending out bolts of emotions and symbolic messages and wreaths.

    It probably felt so short because Mr. President did his things offshore and there were not much sounds from the seat of power. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu left Nigeria for the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW2025) last week Saturday. He was out of the country till yesterday evening when he returned to Abuja.

    While in Abu Dhabi, besides delivering a resonating national statement, which message other world leaders must still be chewing on, he had a couple of engagements that were focused on sustaining Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with other nations of the world, including the UAE itself. He even got the revered President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to agree to visiting Nigeria sometime this year.

    Although he held a couple of engagements, like his meeting with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda on Monday, and his meeting with President Al Nahyan later on Wednesday evening, during which meetings he managed to hold profound discussions with his contemporaries, it was the message to the world during the ADSW2025 that trumped them all.

    At the 2025ADSW, President Tinubu delivered a stirring call to action, urging the global community to recognize the intertwined destinies of climate action and economic growth. Speaking before an audience of global leaders, policymakers, and innovators, Tinubu outlined a bold and pragmatic vision for how Africa—and Nigeria in particular—can lead the charge toward a sustainable and prosperous future.

    The President’s central theme was clear: the fight against climate change is not merely a challenge to overcome, but an unparalleled opportunity to reshape the global economy. For Africa, this transformation represents a chance to address historic inequities, build resilient economies, and contribute meaningfully to the global energy transition. In Tinubu’s words, “We stand at a crucial and critical junction in human history.”

    Tinubu emphasized that Nigeria’s commitment to sustainability is anchored on three pillars: energy transition, climate resilience, and sustainable development. These pillars, he explained, are designed to align global aspirations with local realities, ensuring that Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities are effectively addressed.

    At the heart of Nigeria’s energy transition plan is a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060. Tinubu highlighted ongoing efforts to diversify the nation’s energy sources, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and embrace clean technologies. From investments in compressed natural gas and electric vehicles to the exploration of critical minerals needed for green energy technologies, Nigeria is laying the groundwork for a sustainable energy future.

    Beyond energy, Nigeria is advancing climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance food security while minimizing environmental harm. Policies such as the National Clean Cooking Gas Policy aim to reduce carbon emissions and promote socioeconomic development, particularly in vulnerable communities.

    Read Also: Climate Change: The ongoing global initiatives that will shape our lives in years to come

    Tinubu did not shy away from acknowledging the formidable environmental challenges Nigeria and other African nations face. Issues such as deforestation, desertification, coastal erosion, and flooding have long plagued the continent. The President cited the shrinking of Lake Chad as a stark reminder of the urgency of these issues, emphasizing the need for immediate and collaborative action.

    However, Tinubu framed these challenges as opportunities to innovate and build resilience. By integrating sustainable practices across all sectors of the economy, Nigeria is positioning itself as a leader in the emerging green economy. The country’s pioneering issuance of green bonds—now in its third phase—demonstrates its commitment to attracting investment for climate-focused projects. He, however, invited international partners to join in these efforts, underscoring the need for global collaboration and shared responsibility.

    A recurring theme in his address was the transformative potential of technology. Nigeria, he noted, is increasingly embracing innovations in clean energy, water conservation, waste management, and advanced agricultural techniques. From restoring degraded lands to exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence in farming, technology is seen as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sustainable development strategy.

    Tinubu’s vision extends beyond Nigeria’s borders. He called for stronger international cooperation, arguing that the global community must work together to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Global solutions will only be effective if we work together in the spirit of mutual respect and a shared future,” he said.

    Perhaps the most poignant moment of Tinubu’s speech came toward the end, as he reflected on the symbolic act of children waving banners of hope at the event’s opening. For the President, this image encapsulated the moral imperative of sustainability: to preserve the planet for future generations.

    “This fight is not just for us—it is for them,” Tinubu declared. His words served as a powerful reminder that the decisions made today will define the world inherited by tomorrow’s leaders.

    Tinubu concluded his address with an appeal to the international community. He called for increased funding, technology transfer, and collaborative efforts to ensure that Africa is not left behind in the global transition to sustainability. His message was one of optimism tempered by pragmatism: while the challenges are immense, the opportunities are even greater.

    Nigeria, under Tinubu’s leadership, is positioning itself as a model for how nations can pursue sustainability without sacrificing economic growth. By prioritizing energy transition, fostering resilience, and embracing inclusive development, the country is charting a path that other nations—both in Africa and beyond—can follow.

    As the global community reflects on the outcomes of ADSW2025, Tinubu’s speech stands as a clarion call for bold action and meaningful collaboration. The question now is whether the world will heed that call and join hands with Africa in shaping a sustainable and equitable future.

    Meanwhile, before the events of the ADSW2025, President Tinubu met with President Kagame of Rwanda on Monday. It was initially just pictures, but much later when our President mentioned the meeting on his verified X handle, we got to know it was all about exploring and exploiting Africa’s resources for the development of the continent and its people. Just like he advocated in Ghana the previous week; the fact that this is the African Age, when all that is found within the continent should be devoted to making it competitive and measuring up to the rest of the world. 

    “This evening, on the eve of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, I had meaningful conversations with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Africa has what it takes to develop itself. We have the resources, the people, and the capacity. We must look inward to improve intra-African trade and collaboration to benefit the African people and the continent. The time for Africa is now. We can. We must. We will”, the President said.

    Despite being miles offshore, the President did not fail to rally Nigerians to honour the fallen heroes on Wednesday. Though he was represented at the National Arcade, the traditional venue of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration, by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu still had a stirring message for Nigerians; demanding that we respect their sacrifice and cherish their work by preserving our peace.

    “The Armed Forces Remembrance Day allows us to express our gratitude and pay tribute to our ex-servicemen and women who selflessly sacrificed their lives to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and other nations. Our nation is in dire need of peace, and so is the World. As we mark this solemn event today, remember that people laid down their lives, and many still do so to guarantee our peaceful co-existence. Therefore, let us eschew violence and divisive tendencies for a peaceful and prosperous nation. Let us all become ambassadors of peace. We can build a future of hope and optimism together, where peace and unity reign supreme”, he admonished.

    Then on Wednesday evening, after he had delivered his memorable national statement at the ADSW2025, he met with his host, the President of the UAE, Sheikh Al Nahyan, discussing our mutual interests and projecting into what else could still be explored in our diplomatic and bilateral relations. At the end of it all, being the savvy salesman, Tinubu was able to get Al Nahyan to agree to visiting Nigeria soon.

    Only those who understand the culture of the Arabs will see the importance of what President Tinubu achieved in getting the UAE President to agree to coming to Africa, to Nigeria. It also speaks to the weight of the respect they now have for us as a global partner.

    It is a new week, the one that is about to the first active week of the year. There is no forecasting what we should expect, just that there will be activities.