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  •  Aliyu and Ramadan: Positively touching the less privileged

     Aliyu and Ramadan: Positively touching the less privileged

    • By Usman Garba Abubakar

    The Ramadan is usually in the 9th month of Islamic Hijri calendar. Muslims around the world observe the Ramadan by fasting (Sawn) from sun rise to sun set every day for 29 or 30 days. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other four pillars of Islam are declaration of faith (Shahada), prayer (Salah), charity (Zakat), and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj. These guide Muslims in their daily life and their worship of God. The primary benefit of the Ramadan is that it increases spiritual growth and draws adherents closer to Allah, through fasting, prayer, and increased acts of charity and good deeds to the less privileged. Ramadan, being one of the five pillars of Islam is compulsory for all adult Muslims who are able to fast.

    It is thus not surprising that Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto state, whose 9- Point Smart Agenda includes the provision of water, education, health, agriculture, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy, economic development and religious affairs, has in the light of the injunction, rolled out the drums to ensure that the poor and vulnerable are able to observe the Ramadan. Since his assumption of office, Governor Aliyu has reinstated and enhanced the Ramadan feeding initiative, which the Aminu Tambuwal administration, for no justifiable reason, had stopped. To ensure that the poor are fed, he has spent over N1 billion.

    In several Muslim countries, individuals and governments have various initiatives to reach out to the people in the same way that Governor Aliyu has done in Sokoto state. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for instance, wealthy individuals usually set up Ramadan Tents where meals are served to the needy at Iftar, in addition to charity meals at the mosques. In Turkey, the “Hanging Bread” is quite popular. People are known to pay local bakeries to give free bread to the people. These acts of charity ensure that people do not go to bed hungry.

    Read Also: At 73, President Tinubu’s acts of compassion in leadership

    Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko is well known for hosting the “Tables of Mercy” to feed the poor throughout the year. An act which the governor is encouraging other wealthy families to emulate.

    The amiable Dr Aliyu has, in words and actions, demonstrated that his religious agenda is not a fluke: the reconstruction, remodelling of mosques to the payment of allowances to religious clerics. He has commissioned the remodelling and reconstruction of several Juma’at mosques, with work completed on three and over 30 others underway. This effort aims to provide improved worship environments for the Muslim community. His immense respect and love for Islamic clerics made him to work out a smart package totalling N285 million to assist religious leaders and organisations during Ramadan.

    Juma’at Imams received five bags of maize and N100,000 each. Na’ibs (Deputy Imams) got three bags of maize and N50,000 each. Mu’adhins (Callers to Prayer) were granted two bags of maize and N50,000 each. Senior Islamic scholars were not left out, as 300 of them received N200,000 each, while 100 other scholars were given N100,000 each.

    Islamic Organisations in Sokoto state were equally included in Governor Aliyu’s caring heart package, as 150 organisations were allocated N300,000 each to support their activities during the Ramadan.

    In line with the vision of the governor, notable individuals like the son of the President, Mr. Seyi Tinubu, came to Sokoto to launch Ramadan Feeding Project 1446 A.H (2025). The mission was to feed over 3000 people in the state. Seyi Tinubu, who was supported by Governor Aliyu, said that, “Ramadan is not just about fasting; it is about giving, uplifting, and standing together as one”. He prayed: “May this act of kindness bring blessings to all, and may we continue to spread love and support within our communities”.

    Few days ago, the Sokoto state government, under the leadership of Governor Aliyu, distributed N10,000 to each of 3,000 beneficiaries as part of its Ramadan empowerment programme. This initiative aims to provide support to the most vulnerable in Sokoto state during the holy month of Ramadan. The empowerment programme is a part of the state government’s larger strategy to alleviate poverty and stimulate economic activities in the state.

    To further alleviate the suffering of the people, the state government allocated approximately N5.1 billion for the procurement of grains, which were distributed free to residents, irrespective of their religious or political affiliations.

    The government purchased 280 trucks of rice, totalling 168,000 bags, at a cost of N14.4 billion. These were sold at subsidised rates across the state’s 244 wards, with a 50kg bag of rice made available at ₦38,700. This effort was designed to make essential food items more affordable during Ramadan.

    The governor’s empathy for the poor and physically challenged can’t be over-emphasised; The state government allocated ₦1.355 billion to support daily Ramadan feeding, it was extended to all the 244 political wards and 27 feeding centres specifically designated for the physically challenged, including 610 women, engaged as cooks to manage the programme effectively.  Each of these centres received ₦5 million to provide food and essential items for breaking fast.

    However, what has continued to endear Governor Aliyu to the people is that he is constantly looking beyond today to ensure a better tomorrow for his people. For Dr Aliyu, Ramadan is a reminder of the plight of those who do not have adequate food, water, and shelter. This explains the vigorous implementation of his economic programmes such as skills acquisition, bolstering agricultural productivity, youth employment and empowerment. He has distributed farm inputs, motorcycles, and tricycles across the 23 local government areas of the state.

    With these he intends to lift out a significant number of people out of poverty. For him the benefits include a greater number of people that would be in a position to pay taxes, Zakat and in future help to feed the needy. 

    Additionally, over 500 youths received training in various skills to promote self-reliance. These initiatives reflect Governor Aliyu’s commitment to easing the economic burden on Sokoto state residents during and after Ramadan. The governor has indeed performed well, his people are very proud of him. He has demonstrated that he is a compassionate and caring leader. The people of the state are reciprocating, with daily prayers for Allah’s protection, wisdom and guidance for him as he continues his good work in the Seat of the Caliphate. Sokoto state being the Seat of the Caliphate, he makes no apology on these investments.

    Praises go to Governor Aliyu for putting smiles in the faces of his people in this holy month of Ramadan. “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice to melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate” – Albert Schweitzer.

    Abubakar writes from Kaduna

  • Tinubu and Rivers State

    Tinubu and Rivers State

    Not long after the 29 May, 2023 inauguration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose access to the exalted office in Rivers State was enabled by his immediate predecessor who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Barrister Nyesom Wike, crisis developed in the governance of the state. Some believe that the crisis was instigated by Wike’s desire to exercise undue influence on the governor, while others believed that it was caused by Fubara’s desire to cause the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, who is also Wike’s protégé, to be replaced as a way of asserting himself as the incumbent governor. Wike believed that Fubara was trying to destroy the structure on which he rode to become governor, and that this amounted to an act of ingratitude and treachery.

    In response to appeals, especially from Rivers State, for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to mediate in the crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on one hand, and the state’s House of Assembly on the other, the President invited both of the feuding parties and their respective supporters to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on 18 December, 2023. At the reconciliation meeting, eight resolutions were reached. These include the following, among others: “(1) ALL matters instituted by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn IMMEDIATELY. (2) ALL impeachment proceedings initiated against the Governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.”

    Others include: “(3) The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognized alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP. (4) The remunerations and benefits of ALL members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly. (5) The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.”

    Both sides agreed to and signed the 8-point terms of settlement.  However, on 19 December, 2023, elder statesman Chief (Dr.) Edwin Clark addressed a press conference which he opened as follows: “Firstly, I wish to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for heeding the various calls, including our own, to mediate in the on-going crisis rocking Rivers State … However, the terms of settlement as contained in the Communique issued at the end of the reconciliatory meeting is what is baffling, appalling and unacceptable to the people, especially, the Ijaw ethnic nationality.”

    Chief Clark continued: “From the terms of settlement, it is obvious that President Tinubu sees his role as a mediator, to once again, show gratitude to the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for ‘delivering’ Rivers State to him during the past Presidential elections, having first …  gratified him by making him the Minister of FCT. … The 8 resolutions reached are the most unconstitutional, absurd and obnoxious resolutions at settling feuding parties that I have ever witnessed in my life. … It is obvious that Governor Siminalayi Fubara was ambushed and intimidated into submission. … From all that transpired at the meeting, the laws of the land have not been obeyed. President Tinubu simply sat over a meeting where the Constitution, which is the fulcrum of his office as President and which he swore to uphold and abide by, was truncated and desecrated.”

    Chief Clark continued: “On his part, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, … has shown feebleness of character, by agreeing and appending his signature on a document containing such absurdity. He has betrayed the people who elected him as Governor and those who stood behind him in this cause. Mr Fubara has shown naivety in his actions; by signing that document, he has signed his death warrant … As Governor of a State and as the Chief Security Officer of the State, he has shown tremendous lack of courage and competence.”

    Chief Clark then concluded: “I, Senator Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, as leader of the Ijaw nation, and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), decided to hold this emergency Press Conference with the full authority of my people. We are prepared to face any consequences that may result in the political crisis in Rivers State. We will resist any attempt subtle, subterranean, covert, overt, to make an elected Ijaw son, Siminialayi Fubara, … a servant, a stooge to Nyesom Wike … Like I said, we will go to go court to resist this oppressive action.”

    On 22 December, 2023, Vanguard reported as follows: “The political crisis in Rivers State has assumed a new twist, as six elders have dragged President Bola Tinubu to the Federal High Court in Abuja, for allegedly compelling Governor Siminalayi Fubara to enter into an unconstitutional agreement. The plaintiffs, led by a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Bonny State Constituency, Victor Jumbo, are Senator Bennett Birabi, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Rear Admiral O. P. Fingesi, Ann Kio Briggs and Emmanuel Deinma. … Meanwhile, President Tinubu was cited as the first defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1718/2023. Others are the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Governor Fubara, the Rivers Assembly, Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, and the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.”

    Interestingly, Governor Fubara, on 25 December, 2023, said: “I have taken some time to study the terms therein and have come to the conclusion that the Peace Pact is not as bad as it might be portrayed by those genuinely opposed to it. It is, certainly, not a death sentence. It affords some way towards a lasting peace and stability in our dear State. … Accordingly, I reaffirm my acceptance of the Presidential Peace Proclamation and my commitment to implementing both the spirit and letter of the declaration.” However, probably due to pressure from the Ijaw elders, Fubara remarked contrariwise on 6 May, 2024: “There was nothing in that peace accord that is a constitutional issue.”

    Ironically, as reported by the Vanguard of 25 June, 2024, Chief Edwin Clark wrote a letter to President Tinubu in which he remarked: “As one old enough to be your father, … I advise again, let this small fire in Rivers State be quenched immediately and not allowed to conflagrate further. Specifically, I am calling on you to tread the path of great honour as a self-professed democrat in bringing the very troubling situation in Rivers State to an immediate end.  This is because not doing so will appear as the proverbial Caesar sitting on his oars when Rome was burning.  Let me remind you that the situation in Rivers State is like a banana peel and if nothing is done early, could engulf everywhere.”

    On 11 March, 2025, after the Supreme Court judgement of 28 February, 2025, President Tinubu met with the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). In his speech to them, he said: “Particularly concerning Rivers State, I’ve been on it for quite some time. … I foresaw this crisis festering for too long, before I entered into it. We reached an agreement, written agreement; both parties signed.  Some leaders thought the governor of Rivers State was wrong to have signed; [so] they didn’t implement [it]. … This is a nation of rule of law. … I have total confidence in our judiciary. … When we say Supreme Court has spoken, that’s it. Please go back home and help him implement those recommendations within the shortest possible time. … Both privately, openly, I have intervened, counselled the governor. Only yesterday, I told him again, pursue the path of peace, and stoop to conquer.”

    On their return to Rivers State, the feedback the President got from PANDEF to these appeals was to request the President to suspend Wike from office as the Minister of the FCT. This obsession with Wike is strange, because, though Wike is a major stakeholder in the affairs of Rivers State, he has not been a major factor in the matter of law. This is why none of the cases that went to the Supreme Court listed him as either a plaintiff or a defendant. Accordingly, he was not mentioned in any part of the Court’s judgements. In fact, even in the case which the Ijaw elders instituted in December 2023, Wike wasn’t listed. With respect to the performance of the ministerial job he has been given by President Tinubu, as far as public perception is concerned, Wike has not been found wanting. So, on what basis would he have been suspended or sacked?

    One of the main reasons for President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on 18 March, 2025, was to stem the destruction of a critical pillar of democracy – the legislature – and check the growth of executive despotism in the state. As William Shakespeare reasons, desperate diseases are by desperate means cured. If a surgery was required in Rivers State, the ailing parts to be surgically treated are the Governor’s office and the House of Assembly. And the treatment their desperate situation required was the suspension of those structures. After all, it’s the way a bird flies that dictates the way it’s stoned.

    Another major reason for the state of emergency was the potential and demonstrated threat to national assets as manifested in the bombing of oil pipelines in the state. This dastardly action was presaged by the ominous directive Governor Fubara gave to some youth, on 3 March, 2025, to await “instruction”, after the Supreme Court judgement. The directive made him a legitimate suspect as an enabler of the subsequent pipeline bombings. Meanwhile, Section 5(3)(b) of the 1999 Constitution states: “The executive powers vested in a State under subsection (2) of this section shall be so exercised as not to:- … endanger any asset or investment of the Government of the Federation in that State.” Legal luminary Jeleel Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, has articulated the implications of this provision exquisitely in an interview with Arise News on 22 March, 2025.

     Some argue that the bombings were too few to warrant the declaration of a state of emergency. This raises three questions: Does a stitch in time no more save nine? Do symptoms no more have value as justification for the treatment or removal of causative factors? Is being proactive no more a virtue?

    All said and done, as a leader on whose head the crown uneasily lies, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown from the declaration of the state of emergency and the suspension of Governor Fubara that the abuse of constitutional immunity is not untameable.

  • At 73, President Tinubu’s acts of compassion in leadership

    At 73, President Tinubu’s acts of compassion in leadership

    • By Tunde Rahman

    Empathy is a defining feature of leadership and one of the qualities a good leader must have. How a leader acts at every point always gives us a sense of how he has internalised and embraced this important virtue. On Tuesday, February 4, President Bola Tinubu approved a whopping N758 billion to settle longstanding pension liabilities under the Contributory Pension Scheme for federal workers nationwide. The approval, given during a Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, was a historic decision. It marked a watershed moment in Nigeria’s pension administration. It was the first time the Federal Government would commit funds to the Pension Protection Fund, a statutory provision designed to augment pensions for low-income earners.

    Apart from clearing all pension increases since 2007, President Tinubu’s intervention also settled the shortfall in university professors’ pensions, ensuring retired university lecturers receive their full salary as a pension.

    Reacting to that decision, PenCom’s Director-General, Ms Omolola Oloworaran, expressed appreciation to the President “for his bold and compassionate leadership in resolving these critical pension issues.” The fund had been left unfunded since its inception in 2014. Oloworaran has done a yeoman’s job thus far as PenCom boss. Among other things, she had brought this pension matter to President Tinubu’s attention.

    Veteran labour activist Comrade Issa Aremu, the Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, described the decision as a timely act of compassion, statesmanship and good governance. On the sideline of the 2025 Ramadan Annual Lecture organised by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Ilorin, Comrade Aremu said while successive governments accumulated pension obligations, it was commendable that President Tinubu boldly cleared the slate of pension arrears.

    “The N758 billion is the most impactful measure of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the labour market after the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act,” he said. Aremu urged state governments to emulate the Federal Government in settling the claims of pensioners in the states as millions of retired workers suffered avoidable delays and low pension incomes.

    Read Also: At 73, President Tinubu’s acts of compassion in leadership

    Federal or state workers will significantly reduce their propensity for cutting corners over fear of life after retirement if they are sure of their pensions. This is a way of fighting systemic corruption. Indeed, those who have experienced or witnessed the agony pensioners endure before receiving their pensions after years of service to their fatherland will understand the importance of the President’s decision.

    Instructively, President Tinubu’s action was not driven by a quest for public acclaim. It stems from a profound conviction shaped by understanding what leadership entails.

    The President turned 73 on Saturday, March 29. The celebration was low-key with special prayers in Lagos and Abuja. He had urged Nigerians to join him in offering prayers for the country and himself as a way of celebrating his birthday. President Tinubu will also clock two years in office in exactly two months from now.

    Since the inception of his administration, he has ticked all the right boxes in offering leadership driven by compassion and committed service, as it should be in the corporate world and government. Compassionate leadership contributes to positive organisational cultures conducive to personal and professional success. Compassionate leadership is a cornerstone of intelligent leadership that requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the willingness to lead by example. As renowned psychologist Jasmin Mogahed rightly noted, “Compassion is to look beyond your pain, to see the pain of others.”

    Apart from the N758 pension bond, President Tinubu has taken many remarkable decisions since May 29, 2023, in which he has demonstrated rare acts of compassion and good leadership, which is worth enumerating. Many would easily cite the students’ loan initiative for indigent students being implemented by NELFUND and CREDITCORP, which offers credit facilities to Nigerians to own consumer products and other assets. They will talk about the new N70,000 National Minimum Wage and the approval of three yearly review instead of the earlier five years, and the huge sums of money going to the states in the name of monthly allocation, which he told the governors to “spend on the people, not to spend the people”. However, several other interventions exist besides these.

    One crucial example is President Tinubu’s decision to subsidise 80% of the cost of kidney dialysis treatment for all Nigerians. According to health officials, this unprecedented effort has seen kidney dialysis treatment crash in over ten Federal Medical Institutions across the country from an average of N50,000 per session to N12,000, making renal care affordable for multitudes of Nigerians. The participating Institutions include FMC Ebute-Metta Lagos; FMC Jabi, Abuja; UCH Ibadan; FMC Owerri; UMTH Maiduguri; FMC Abeokuta; LUTH Lagos; FMC Azare; UBTH Benin, and UCTH Calabar, among others.

    The second, which is equally notable, is the establishment of three funds totalling N200 billion to support businesses across Nigeria, namely the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme (PCGS), the FGN MSME Intervention Fund and the FGN Manufacturing Sector Fund. The Bank of Industry (BOI) has been appointed as the executing agency of the funds, vested with the responsibility of administering the programme. The Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme is a N50 billion-grant plan to support eligible Nano Business owners. It will be disbursed to a minimum of 1,000 beneficiaries, especially women and youths, per Local Government Area in the 774 LGAs of the country and the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory. According to the Bank of Industry, the target nano businesses include traders, food vendors, ICT businesses, transporters, artisans, and creatives.

    The third of such intervention that is also worthy of mention is the President’s approval of automatic employment for 774 National Health Fellows, a pivotal initiative led by the Federal Ministry of Health to foster sustained improvements within Nigeria’s healthcare system. At the event held at State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on March 6, President Tinubu uttered soothing three words to the fellows who will monitor the Primary Healthcare Centres across the country’s 774 local government areas: “You are hired.” Those words and the health fellowship programme emphasised his administration’s commitment to strengthening the country’s healthcare system. A deafening applause from the fellows and those present at the event had greeted that declaration by Mr. President. The employment of these fellows, selected from each of the local councils, stemmed from the recommendation of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate.

    Offering some insights into the bold initiative and the rigorous selection process, which essentially highlights its significance, President Tinubu said: “This programme is a transformative initiative that underscores my administration’s commitment to harnessing the immense potential of Nigeria’s greatest asset—its young people. With over 60% of Nigerians under 30, we boast one of the most energetic, resourceful, and dynamic youth populations globally. This presents unparalleled opportunities to drive innovation, economic prosperity and social transformation.”

    Also relevant is the Federal Government’s plan to raise N1 trillion in housing funds to boost access to mortgage and tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit. Housing sector stakeholders and Nigerians have widely applauded this plan. MOFI has raised about N250 billion to kickstart the fund, which will be given at a single-digit interest rate.

    Some commentators may argue that these decisions and interventions represent the kernel of the government’s responsibilities: looking after the security and the general well-being of the people. That the Tinubu government is merely doing what is expected of it. But these policies and actions wouldn’t matter if there had not been such abject neglect of the fundamental problems for years. Critics often forget that long before now, particularly during the industrial age, the leadership paradigm of the time used to see compassion as a weakness, along with other “soft” leadership skills. Compassionate leadership is now the gold standard of intelligent, practical, and people-centric leadership. Any organization or anyone desirous of success in leadership must embrace this. President Tinubu knows this so well. Compassion had been his second nature even before he got to leadership positions. As a gift for his 73rd birthday, the President deserves commendation for embracing this ideal.

    •Rahman is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media, Publicity and Special Duties.

  • Finally, Bills that matter

    Finally, Bills that matter

    • By Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun

    For years, I have watched bills sponsored by members of the House of Representatives and their “senior counterparts” in the Senate with little or no excitement. More often than not, they seem disconnected from the everyday struggles of Nigerians, too political, redundant, or outright self-serving. But this time, something different has happened, and I am liking it.

    The recent 39 constitutional amendment bills of the House of Representatives have completely busted my head. This is exactly the kind of legislative action I’ve always hoped for, bills that address real-life Nigerian problems with practical, solution-driven reforms. If passed, these amendments could fundamentally reshape governance, elections, security, and the judiciary in ways that matter to the average Nigerian.

    Perhaps, all 39 bills might cover critical aspects of governance, but some stand out as absolute game-changers for me and I spot them in green.

    First is the one on State and Local Government Police Reform. For decades, the debate over state police has dragged on, with concerns about the risks of political abuse clashing against the urgent need for decentralized security. Now, the House has taken an interesting step to sponsor a bill that establishes both state and local government police forces. If this passes, it could radically improve grassroots security, reduce the burden on the overstretched Nigeria Police Force, and make law enforcement more community-focused. That’s the upside. The downside? We all know that giving state governors’ control over police forces could turn into a disaster. But for now, let’s acknowledge that this bill is at least a move in the right direction.

    Another impressive bill proposes making the Court of Appeal the final appellate court for governorship, National Assembly, and state House of Assembly election petitions. This means the Supreme Court would no longer be burdened with endless election cases, freeing it to focus on high-priority national and constitutional matters. We’ve all seen how long it takes for election disputes to be resolved in Nigeria. The endless legal battles that stretch into governance periods only create instability. This bill could cut down unnecessary delays and ensure a more effective judiciary.

    Also as we know Nigeria’s electoral process has long been plagued by inefficiencies, delays, and outright manipulation. Some of the proposed electoral reforms could finally change that. One major bill mandates that general elections for the president, governors, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Councils be conducted on the same day. This could streamline the process, reduce costs, and prevent the staggered election system that often leads to voter fatigue and undue political influence.

    Read Also: Senate amends Electoral Act, seeks same-day elections to cut costs, reduce voter apathy

    Another crucial bill seeks to amend Sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) of the Constitution to require lawmakers to officially resign from their political parties before defecting. We all know how party defections have turned the political space into a circus. Lawmakers hop from one party to another, often without consequences, making a joke of the democratic system. If this bill passes, it will introduce much-needed discipline into party politics.

    Furthermore, one of the most practical amendments seeks to ensure that all election appeals are determined before elected officials are sworn into office. This is a game-changer. No more leaders taking office with pending legal battles that could overturn their victories months later, causing unnecessary disruptions. If this had been the law before, Nigeria would have been spared the post-election chaos we’ve seen over the years.

    Fixing local government elections? For too long, local government elections in Nigeria have been a joke. State governors control the state electoral commissions, ensuring that their party always wins—often with laughable results like “99% voter support.” The House has introduced a bill that transfers the power to conduct local government elections from state electoral commissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    This could finally allow for more credible elections at the grassroots level, breaking the cycle of state government manipulation. A related bill proposes creating a National Local Government Electoral Commission, an independent body that would oversee elections for local government chairpersons and councillors nationwide, including in the Federal Capital Territory.

    If passed, this could mark the beginning of real grassroots democracy in Nigeria. Imagine a local government election where opposition parties actually stand a chance, something we haven’t seen in a long time.

    Interestingly, one of the most daring bills in this package seeks to strip vice presidents, governors, and their deputies of their immunity from prosecution while in office. Currently, Section 308 of the Constitution protects these officeholders from criminal and civil prosecution, allowing many of them to govern recklessly without consequences. While the president would retain a form of limited immunity, this bill targets corruption and abuse of power at the state level.

    We all know that some of the most brazen acts of corruption happen at the state level, where governors act like emperors. If this amendment succeeds, sitting vice presidents and governors could be held accountable while in office, a potential game-changer in Nigeria’s fight against corruption.

    Special seats for marginalized groups?

    Another bill proposes special seats for physically challenged persons at the federal, state, and local government levels. Additionally, six special seats have been proposed in the House of Representatives for special interest groups. On one hand, this could be a good move towards ensuring representation for marginalized Nigerians who are often ignored in governance. On the other hand, if not properly defined, “special interest groups” could become a loophole for political manipulation. This is one amendment that requires careful scrutiny.

    These amendments represent some of the most practical and progressive legislative efforts Nigeria has seen in recent years. They address real issues, security, elections, judicial efficiency, governance, and representation.

    But the big question remains: Will they pass? We all know how the Nigerian political class works. Many of these bills will face strong opposition from vested interests, governors who don’t want to lose control over state police and local government elections, lawmakers who enjoy defecting at will; and politicians who fear being held accountable while in office.

    If these bills make it through the entire legislative process and get presidential assent, they could set Nigeria on the path to genuine political and administrative reform. If they don’t, then this will just be another promising moment killed by those who benefit from the status quo.

    •Oludotun sent this piece via <thedreamchaser65@gmail.com>

  • Still the ace is in northwest

    Still the ace is in northwest

    • By Tayo Williams

    As far as presidential elections go, the Northwest, one of the six geopolitical zones of seven states – Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara – is Nigeria’s most populous region, the coveted ‘bride’ for all aspirants with over 22million registered voters.

    According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, three states in the region – Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina – rank among the top 10 in the list of states with the highest number of registered voters. Kano State, number two on the list behind Lagos, has 5,921,370 registered voters. Kaduna and Katsina have 4,335,208 and 3,516,719 registered voters respectively. The closest to it is the southwest with about 18million registered voters. The gulf is, indeed, wide and almost unassailable.

    During the last presidential election, the northwest gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2.7 million votes – the highest by any region. Even in the southwest, Tinubu’s traditional political base, he only polled 2,279,407 votes. From the five southeast states, he got a measly 127,605 votes and did not score 25 percent in any of them. The South-south’s 799,957 votes contributed nine percent to the APC’s total votes.

    Though it is still early in the day, sustaining influence and popularity in the northwest will be critical to the survival of the APC in the next electoral cycle. Former President Muhammadu Buhari, a Katsina native, is the singular most formidable political figure from the region. However, his legendary aloofness to party politics is a deal-breaker. And after serving out his two-term presidency, he has been ‘far from the madding crowd’ of party nay Nigerian politics. Though he still has a cult following in the north, his reluctance to participate in any electioneering will not help the party.

    Read Also: Tinubu to mark 73rd birthday with special prayers

    Conversely, Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, would have been the natural successor to Buhari’s political leadership in the region. However, the fractious El-Rufai has left the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Social Democratic Party. Kano State, with the highest number of registered votes behind Lagos, is a major battleground considering the popularity of the Rabiu Kwankwaso-led NNPP, which inflicted considerable damage on the APC in the last elections.

    This is where Senator Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, comes in. 

    Jibrin is the highest-ranking APC senator in the Northwest region. An understated force of nature with admirable charisma and eloquence, Barau has been in the National Assembly since the dawn of the Fourth Republic starting as a member of the House of Representatives representing the good people of Tarauni Federal Constituency of Kano State from 1999 to 2003.

    A thoroughbred, successful accountant, he chaired the Appropriations Committee and served as a member of others. After his first legislative odyssey, Jibrin returned to his private practice, but not for long, as he was tapped to serve as chairman of the Kano State Investment and Properties Ltd and, later, Commissioner of Science and Technology. He is a foundation member of the APC on which platform he contested and won the Kano North Senatorial District seat in 2015. This is his third term as a senator, and he was the only APC senator in 2023 from Kano, as the other two seats were won by the NNPP, a testament to his formidable political acumen and grassroots appeal. But for political expediency, he would have been the senate president.

    Having won the Kano North senatorial seat three consecutive times, there is no controverting that Jibrin has excelled as a legislator and, therefore, comes well-acquitted to help the APC reclaim Kano, and provide the leadership crucial for the success of the party in the region. Indeed, the president needs not to look far for who to lead the charge in the northwest; that is a role that has naturally fallen on the lap of Senator Jibrin.

    Cerebral and controversy-free, Senator Jibrin is a steady and stabilising force in the Senate and beyond. He is blessed with the moral authority and rare ability to put an issue on the national agenda that wouldn’t naturally be there. Although he may not be getting the desired coverage or recognition for his legislative, political, and social interventions, the deputy senate president has mastered the art of being relevant in the centre and indispensable at home.

    Assertive, but never abrasive, Jibrin is a man whose thinking has often proved to be ahead of the curve. He was the brain behind the North West Development Commission to address gaps in infrastructural development in the region, which has now been replicated in other regions. He also supported and sponsored a bill to build the Federal University of Education Technology in Bichi, Kano State, and the Federal Polytechnic Kabo, where his father was born.

    While other politicians are engaged in a never-ending race to amass riches to guarantee eternally their obscene residence in their snug life of luxury and privilege, Senator Jibrin strives to spread joy daily among kith and kin, and the next needy family on the block. Evidence of his amazing compassion and superior culture of philanthropy abound everywhere in the region whether in education, agriculture, health, and youth empowerment. He is there when the people need him.

    The ranking senator recognises the role that fate has inadvertently thrust upon him and he has been playing the part pretty well by reaching out to opposition politicians and convincing them that the APC needs them. Recently, he hosted a strategic meeting with the former Secretary to the Kano State Government, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, and other NNPP stalwarts, including the former Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Muhammad Diggol, in his Abuja residence.

    Jibrin said, “We had fruitful discussions with them on the development of our dear state and the country. The development of our state and the country is always at the top of our agenda. We will continue to collaborate with other stakeholders to advance our state and the nation. Let’s do it together to better the lots of our people.” For him, it is about Kano and Nigeria, not any self-serving purpose.

    Indeed, there is no clear-cut path to greatness in politics. It requires a special kind of talent that is rare in today’s politicians, but which Senator Jibrin embodies in large quantity. For the APC to make any headway in the northwest in the next general election, it would need, most importantly, Senator Jibrin, leading the charge.

    •Williams is a Lagos-based media executive.

  • Panaf Olakanmi @ 70

    Panaf Olakanmi @ 70

    • By Essay Adeyemi-Adejolu

    For some of us privileged to attend the University of Lagos in the early eighties, the name Panaf must perhaps have rung a bell as a benchmark and guiding principle of an exemplary pragmatic era of a responsive, focused approach to students union leadership largely then at the university, where Panafism became a philosophical ideology of measuring Students Unionism performance and to some extent at the national level of NANS.

    Olajide Olakanmi, popularly addressed as ‘Panaf’ is an accomplished Nigerian in his own right as an activist, researcher, author, publisher, legal practitioner, farmer etc. Indeed, ‘Panaf’ remains a living inspiration to a growing tribe of youths across fields of endeavours all over the world. As an accomplished professional in all ramifications, he’s ever been driven by a strong passion to succeed even right from his youthful days, a vision which has helped him to make significant contributions to the society in various fields of endeavours.

    At seventy (70) and all through the events of his life so far, ‘Panaf’ has been consistent in remaining true to type, having played too many roles in the society through which vehicles he has demonstrated how to be a compassionate brother/sibling/friend, a good neighbour and a passionate community leader everywhere he has lived.

    Born on Wednesday, March 30 in 1955 to the large family of now late Chief Gbadamosi Olakanmi, then the High Chief Etikan of Obalu Community in Efon Alaaye, growing up was a fantastic and turbulent experience. Focused and determined from a tender age, Panaf did not allow the early loss of his dear mother (Madam Beatrice Odekunmi Olakanmi of blessed memory) to deter him from making a success of his life.

    He started a brilliant academic journey in Efon Alaaye, first at the St. John’s Anglican Primary School, from 1962 to 1968. He spent a year in St. Peters Anglican Modern School in 1969 before proceeding in 1970 for his secondary education at the famous C.A.C Grammar School, all in Efon Alaaye, where the then known Bunsen burner ( a radical experimentalist) was a dynamic food prefect in his final year of Secondary Schooling at CAPOSTO.

    On the completion of his secondary education, he moved to Lagos where in November 1974, he took up the job of a Research Assistant (Clerical Assistant) in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Lagos. As a Clerical Officer in the university, he had the privilege and fortune of working with many academic titans and vibrant intellectuals including the likes of Professors Olatunde Oloko, Diejomouah, Olusanya, Okediji, Tomori, Olalokun, Fajana, Alaba Ogunsanwo and host of other brilliant minds.

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    Panaf’s constant interaction and association with such great intellectuals, including the students of the university and their politics in the late 1970s greatly influenced his perception of life and worldview, which informed and triggered his Student’s Union activism on campus, no sooner than he gained admission in 1980, having studied for and passed his Advanced/Level papers as an external candidate in 1979.

    Following his admission to study Social Sciences at Unilag in 1980, Panaf was first elected into the University of Lagos Students’ Union (ULSU) House of Representatives, through which activism, he soon embarked on the assembling and mobilising of like minds into the Pan African Students’ Movement PSM. The transformation of the campus movement was so rapid such that by 1981, the PSM had emerged as an ideological force that is reckoned with, even beyond the confines of the University of Lagos.

    In recognition of his coordinating efforts, the group propped him up as a presidential hopeful in the 1981 ULSU election, with the codename ‘Panaf’ an appellation, which had since stuck to him like a first name. The novel campus ideological creed, with the slogan of “Panafism, new ideology” was defined simply as “the making use of pen and paper, supported with facts and figures to achieve a determined objective”. The issues canvassed in the unprecedented electoral campaign and the epoch making tenure remain evergreen till date in the annals of University of Lagos Students’ Union activism.

    He later became a public affairs commentator on national and international affairs, at the University of Lagos a reputation, which geared him to be elected then as the President of the University of Lagos Students Union for the 1981/1982 Academic Session. Panaf’s advocacy skills and the strong leadership he provided as a Students’ Union President at Unilag remained a point of reference for students’ unionism till date. Thus, Panaf as ULSU President left behind a name renowned for integrity, honesty, humility and hard work, a value legacy that resonated well with the now late Prof. Akin Adesola and Mr. Lanre Ajijola, the then vice chancellor and registrar respectively.

    After the completion of his first degree and compulsory National Service, Panaf, who was granted a study leave without pay upon his admission in 1980, resumed his employment as a non-teaching staff and posted to work at the Distant Learning Institute (DLI) otherwise known as Correspondence and Open Studies Institute (COSIT) of the University of Lagos. He was in that employment with Unilag, while he pursued his Master’s Degree in Political Science, which upon completion, he also enrolled for the LLB law programme and bowed out of formal employment with the university, as he promptly commenced a printing business and a partnership proprietor of tutorial/coaching centre to eke a living.

    Thus, he transited from being a humble public servant to an entrepreneur and later becoming a legal practitioner with unique services to promote the growth of the legal profession as a researcher.

    Author and publisher of very relevant scores of legal publications, all of which showcased his commitment to education, impartation and sharing of knowledge with others across the world, Panaf’s service at this end has really been impressive such that most lawyers produced by the Council of Legal Education must have had a brush on at least a published work from the stables of Panaf Press, LawLords Publications and Booklinks distributorship.

    His publishing concerns has threshold in at least three cities of Abuja, Lagos and Pretoria while the icing on the cake of his progressive training and proactive dynamics culminated in his founding in 2012 of the Pan African Institute of Para-Legal Studies in Abuja, which underscored Panaf’s dedication to promoting legal education and access to justice.

    He has in several other endeavours continued to make positive impact in his generation, society at large and in all communities he has lived from his youth till date. Panaf has had very deep connection and concerns for communal developments, which activities led to his emergence, in 2008 as the Acting President General of Efon Alaoye Development. Panaf also has had unique and uncommon interest in the arts, culture, tradition, tourism and nature generally with great investment in agriculture as a livestock breeding and a tree growing investment, being one of the pioneers in the tree-growing plantation business in Efon Alaaye, his place of birth and origin, where hectares of land are already engaged in Gmelina and Teak trees plantation among other crops. It is really impressive seeing individuals like him making a positive impact in their respective communities and beyond.

    On Sunday, March 30, a group of Panaf’s friends coordinated by Gbayisemore Shomuyiwa, has planned a surprise gig in his honour in Abuja notwithstanding his aversion to anything lousy.

    •Prince Adeyemi-Adejolu, FNIPR is a former Acting Registrar of The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti.

  • Washington’s disruptive trade wars: Opportunities and challenges

    Washington’s disruptive trade wars: Opportunities and challenges

    By Charles Onunaiju

    Borders that are crisscrossed more frequently by trades in goods and services are less likely to be besieged by soldiers and other armed elements, buttressing the fact that trade dividends are not just development, growth and prosperity but also peace and mutual understanding through the instrumentality of dialogue among civilizations. With the establishment and flourishing of regional free trade areas across the world, it is no doubt that trade makes concrete contributions to the national aggregates of many countries and trade promotions have become an existential part of contemporary diplomacy.

    International trade expos have emerged as central theme in the contemporary international system. With trade as almost the indispensable oxygen that nations breathe, attempts and efforts to disrupt trade will have implications not only on how nations thrive but more importantly, how they survive.

    In Africa, there are broadly share views that trade constitute a formidable path to not only ameliorate poverty but even to banish it with a recognition that trade is central to not only economic recovery but is remarkably consequential to the prospects of prosperity in Africa. It is further broadly recognized that the mono-structural framework of the economies in Africa which are both legacies of colonial domination and consequent skewed trade arrangement with former colonial overlords, is grossly inadequate to generate returns on trade for national aggregates.

    The well-known struggles for economic diversification and added values have been the core themes of Africa’s approach to development and trade policies. The maturity and results of the efforts have greater prospects in the context of sustained international trading system now threatened by the political bombasts of the abuse of tariffs and trade wars.

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    U.S President, Donald Trump claimed that his reasons for instituting disruptive tariffs and escalating trade conflicts is because other countries in the world take advantage of the U.S market without the U.S enjoying reciprocal access to the markets of other countries. Without conceding these reasons are at best dubious, because problems and challenges of market access are sometimes related to the structure and nature of the individual national economies.

    Trade war is not a cure-all for the structural maladies of the advanced capitalist economies, especially the United States but tampering with the pyramid structure of their economies and societies where the working people are the proverbial cannon fodders and expendables, rob them of the critical energizer of their overstretched economies barely subsisting on the tiny thread of their fabulous elite.

    Bernie Sanders, the senator from Vermont and who vied for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party said “it is not just that one tenth of 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 90%. They don’t put their wealth underneath their mattresses right. They use that wealth to perpetrate, perpetuate their power. And they do that politically”.

    From the point of structural constraint, the U.S can unshackle herself and become again, world renown and eminent trader.

    Washington right now, does not seek what ails her from within but rather to engage in geo-political manoeuvre with trade disruptions as one of its key strategies. China is the U.S most obvious target in the tariff wars and trade disruptions. China happens to be the world’s foremost trader and investor. As the largest trading partner for more than 100 countries and investing an average of $340 million across the world on daily basis, China is as much an opportunity to the world as the world is an opportunity to China. China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 14 years in a straight row and also instituted a 100% tariff free entry of goods from the least developed countries including 33 from Africa which has been a boon and veritable gateway to exit poverty for these countries.

    Recognizing that trade and investment would be pivotal to the economic diversification strategies of African countries and central to her sustainability and growth, the third summit of the heads of States and Governments of the Forum on China-Africa Economic Cooperation (FOCAC) at Beijing in 2018 instituted the permanent mechanism of China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo which holds every two years in the China Southern province of Hunan. At the 3rd edition of the Expo held in 2023, a total of 120 deals valued at $10.3 billion were signed, with the Expo providing a platform for Africa’s producers and traders to explore new export markets and for Chinese consumers to find high quality, low-priced products.

    Against the background of vigorous trade exchanges between China and Africa, Washington disruptive trade wars are both opportunities and challenges. Both the Chinese market and investment remain very critical to Africa’s growth prospect and development sustainability. The emerging framework of currency swaps enabling China and African businesses to conduct transactions in their national currencies without the medium of the third currency would bolster exchanges. The African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) offers an integrated market and investment destination, given scope and effect to Africa ambitious plan of Agenda 2063, whose major fulcrum would consist in silencing the gun. Trade would be a major harbinger of Africa’s agenda 2063, and China as Africa’s foremost trading partner will be an important enabler in the continent’s trajectory to peace, stability and prosperity.

    Strengthening cooperation with a view to build strategic resilience into its trajectories would guarantee long term prospects with minimal or even marginal effects of the trade disruptions.

    Despite that trade wars are unwinnable and need not to be fought, the current Washington leadership would be hard to be persuaded. But as history has often does, it comes with the harsh reminder of having to be ignored. It did not take too long for the boisterous bubble of the “end of the history”, proclaimed in the 1990s with the collapse of the former Soviet Union to burst revealing that history was only at the cusp of a fresh starting point.

    Translating the obsessive geo-political fantasy of America’s exceptionalism and hegemony into disruptive trade wars would backfire, heightening the tensions of the America’s fault line of race and street violence. Globalization powered by trade with communication technologies ever shrinking the space and helping the trends of inclusion are irreversible tide in the human prospects.

    Inward and toxic nationalisms are at best ephemeral and transient. Trade may sometimes be unfair but the compelling dividends of trade means that such situations are better addressed with more trade and not less. While the mechanism of the World Trade Organization is evidently weak, however, its pioneering efforts through the Uruguay and Doha rounds remain the critical infrastructures for building consensus on basic rules.

    Quite a number of regional free trade areas exist to address lacunas in trade and therefore, the international system is not short of rules to engage in issues of trade disputes.

    The United States have ample leeway to redress her trade concerns and grudges, without launching disruptive trade wars. As with the U.S’ initial refusal under President Trump to engage in a broad international cooperation to contain the outbreak of the corona virus in 2020, it paid a disproportionate high price with more COVID deaths than any other country in the world. Now not only turning its back on global trade but even disrupting it, the current U.S administration would never have to entertain any illusions that there would be consequences.

    •Onunaiju is director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja.

  • Tinubu at 73: Milestones in an extraordinary life’s journey

    Tinubu at 73: Milestones in an extraordinary life’s journey

    By Keem Abdul

    As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pauses in his daily exertions to celebrate and ponder his 73 years here on earth, relevant stakeholders are mulling over his strides in the past two years as president, and even further back to his tenure as governor of Lagos State.

    This list of achievements is far from exhaustive. Suffice it to say, however, that it is a snapshot of one man’s odyssey along the path that destiny has chosen for him. With the lifting of the ban on political activity in 1991, Tinubu was elected senator representing the Lagos West senatorial district under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the truncated Third Republic. In the Senate proper, he was handed the role of chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance and Appropriations. That position afforded him the opportunity to play a key role in financial oversight and budgetary processes.

    As governor of Lagos State (from 1999 to 2007), his initiatives, projects and policies helped the state to move up the economic ladder – with the astronomic leap in its internally generated revenue, from N600million to N8billion, which made Lagos the largest subnational economy in Africa. Tinubu’s establishment of the Lagos State Lotteries Board also helped boost the state revenue profile through regulated gaming.

    Cognizant of the fact that government, no matter how well-funded, cannot drive development alone, Tinubu instituted a Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) model that attracted private sector investments – especially in infrastructure. The construction of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, for example, was among the first major PPP road projects in Nigeria.

    The Tinubu administration recorded many strides in the area of urban planning and transportation infrastructure. It set up the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and tasked it with a mandate to actualize the goals of the Strategic Transport Master Plan, and to work hand in hand with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in a bid to reduce traffic congestion to its barest minimum.

    The development of the Lekki Free Trade Zone by the Tinubu administration has so far attracted billions in foreign investments, and so has the modernization of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which has also seen a marked improvement in connectivity to the rest of the West African sub-region.

    The Tinubu administration also recorded giant strides in the area of healthcare. Its work on the New Massey Children’s Hospital, along with the rehabilitation of various health institutions across the state, has gone a long way towards a massive upgrade of healthcare infrastructure and access in the state.

    Cognizant of the fact that accumulated filth arising from a combination of poor drainage and poor habits was a public health threat to Lagosians, the Tinubu government set the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) which has improved sanitation tremendously.

    In the area of security and the administration of justice, the Tinubu government established the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), which has enhanced security response in the state. In addition, the then-governor created the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), to fund police and security operations. The governor also demonstrated his support for judicial reforms, which have strengthened the Lagos State judiciary with better funding and facilities.

    In the area of education and human capital development, the Tinubu founded the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) in a bid to expand medical education. The construction of new model schools across the state, and the establishment of the Lagos State Scholarship Board has enhanced education access, and also supported students from vulnerable backgrounds.

    Housing and the preservation of the environment were major planks of the Tinubu government in Lagos. The launch of the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) enabled many families to own homes of their own at an affordable cost.

    The government’s ambitious land reclamation project – initially to combat coastal erosion, led to the construction of the Eko Atlantic City. Talk of killing two birds with one stone. Also, the dredging of various waterways across the state has improved inland water transportation.

    A long-standing advocate for true federalism, Governor Tinubu fought for state autonomy and resource control. This led him into the crosshairs of the federal government under President Obasanjo, against whom Lagos State went to court to demand the release of withheld local government funds. Supreme Court ruled in Lagos’ favour. In the period between the withholding of federal funds and the court’s verdict, Lagos showed its resilience, and proved that it could survive and thrive, allocation or no allocation.

    Following the expiration of his gubernatorial tenure, Asiwaju Tinubu immersed himself in the task of strengthening the All Progressives Congress, following its formation in 2013 as a counterweight to the then-ruling PDP. He brokered the merger of opposition parties, and subsequently led the coalition that defeated the PDP in 2015.

    Following that victory, Tinubu continued to play a kingmaker’s role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s second victory in 2019. Tinubu’s ability to mentor future leaders has produced governors, ministers, and key politicians.

    As president, following his victory in the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu signalled a new era of action. On his inaugural day, he pronounced the end of the fuel subsidy regime – in a bid to save trillions of naira for national development. He followed this up with the foreign exchange (FX) market unification policy, which helped streamline multiple exchange rates. The setting up of the Tax Reform Committee is part of the government’s plan to improve revenue collection.

    In furtherance of the nation’s bid to pivot away from an oil-based economy, and to minimize the use of fossil fuels, the Tinubu administration came up with the CNG (i.e the Compressed Natural Gas) vehicle conversion initiative, which offers a cheaper alternative to petrol.

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    In his push to end the ravages of terrorist groups and other forms of criminality, the Tinubu government significantly increased the military’s funding, which has enhanced counterterrorism operations. Also, the creation of Forest Guards to tackle banditry and kidnapping is gradually bearing fruit. In his bid to realize his long-standing advocacy for multi-level policing, the president is leading efforts to amend the country’s constitution for that purpose.

    There is no gainsaying the fact that massive investment in infrastructure and power generation would result in a quantum leap for Nigeria. In cognisance of this, the Tinubu administration is embarking on a number of infrastructure projects to realize this quantum leap – notably the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project, a 700km mega-infrastructure. Thanks to the federal government’s power sector reforms, Nigerians are seeing a marked improvement in the number of hours they get electricity daily.

    As it is in Lagos, so it is also at the federal level. The Tinubu government has demonstrated its intention to build a robust social investment profile. Among the signature projects of this administration is the Renewed Hope Cities & Estates, which entails the construction of mass housing projects nationwide. Following extensive negotiations with the labour unions, the president approved a new minimum wage for public sector workers in response to inflation pressures. The bid for a private-led economy has led the Tinubu government to increase its support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), notably by enabling their access to single-digit loans. Speaking of loans, the government’s Consumer Credit Scheme (whose objective is to enhance the purchasing power of average Nigerians) and the Student Loan Scheme, which has enabled access to interest-free loans for students in Nigerian universities, are a signal that the mantra, ‘Renewed Hope’ is more than just a mantra.

    In a world where entities – whether corporate, governmental, intergovernmental or non-governmental – have become more and more interdependent, Nigeria – under President Tinubu – aims to push its interests to the forefront of global discourse. In the course of seeking cross-border partnerships and investments in the Nigerian economy, the president has undertaken tours abroad, in the course of which he has secured investment (or strong pledges thereof) from governments and corporate organisations in India, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, etc. Nigeria’s push for full membership of the Group of 20 (G20) is also ongoing. In the government’s recognition that the Nigerian diaspora is one of the largest in the world – with the wherewithal to make a positive difference in the country’s economic fortunes and global profile, the government set up the Diaspora Bond Revival, which is engaging Nigerians abroad for development.

    All these achievements in one lifetime are a sure proof of a life of purpose, determination and hard work.

    Happy birthday, Mr. President. As you mark this milestone, we pray that God grants you mercy, grace and divine enablement as you continue to work for the Nigerian people.

    • Abdul, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos.

  • The Binance affair and the emerging truth

    The Binance affair and the emerging truth

    By Awaal Gata

    The dominant narrative of Nigeria’s regulatory crackdown on Binance challenges the integrity of Nigeria’s institutions while attempting to shield those complicit in economic sabotage. At the centre of this controversy is Tigran Gambaryan, Binance Holdings Limited’s head of financial crime compliance, who was detained alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, on February 26, 2024. Their detention has proven to be a lawful response to their refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies investigating how crypto exchange firms, including Binance, were undermining Nigeria’s economy and causing significant financial losses.

    The trending revelations into the Binance scandal, as instigated by Premium Times in a three-part exclusive, have brought to light, the immense diplomatic pressures that led to Gambaryan’s release. More importantly, they have also raised questions about the falsehoods now being peddled to discredit the government and its officials, particularly National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu. The media houses that had ridden the wave of sensationalism, despite the obvious holes in the story, have now seen the truth as the dust settles. Even to the naïve mind, the bribery allegations against Ribadu, levelled by Gambaryan, are a deliberate smokescreen to deflect attention from the elephant in the room: the documented charge of economic sabotage, backed by substantial evidence, is not a matter of politics.

    It must also be acknowledged that Gambaryan’s release, following the escape of his colleague from custody, was not actualised based on proof of innocence. He was freed due to the calculated interventions of the U.S. government, which sought to secure his release at all costs. According to Premium Times, the U.S. administration exerted significant pressure, led by Ambassador Richard Mills Jr., who formally urged Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to release Gambaryan on humanitarian grounds, despite the charges of tax evasion and money laundering against him and his employer. In May 2024, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken personally raised the issue with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, during a meeting in Washington, D.C. The newspaper also reported that in late April, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell had discussed the matter with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The high-powered intervention could not have been for an innocent party.

    Despite the pressure, however, Nigeria insisted on due process. This principled stance was reinforced when the courts denied Gambaryan’s repeated bail applications, citing flight risk concerns. But the U.S. government remained relentless in its lobbying, engaging directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the NSA’s office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The intensity of this engagement highlights Nigeria’s determination to enforce its laws against a backdrop of global superpower influence. If there was no proof of guilt, the U.S. government would have insisted on the path of law.

    Nigeria outlined clear conditions in the negotiations leading to Gambaryan’s release: the release must be framed as a diplomatic gesture, cooperation from the U.S. in financial crime investigations must be secured, and outstanding Nigerian assets held in the U.S. should be repatriated. Nigeria took advantage of the diplomatic pressure to demand accelerated action in recovering approximately $380 million in seized assets. These include $6 million linked to an arms deal involving Ara Garabed Dolarian, $53 million from forfeited properties linked to Diezani Alison-Madueke and Jide Aluko, and $150 million in Abacha-linked assets frozen in France since 2012 following a U.S. Department of Justice request. Additionally, another asset, amounting to €140–160 million, linked to a former Nigerian governor’s family, was seized by the U.S. Nigeria’s insistence on a formal request for Gambaryan’s release—addressed to President Tinubu and copied to the NSA, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Attorney General—provides concrete proof to refute the falsehoods peddled by the ungrateful Gambaryan.

    If bribery allegations are to be scrutinised, they should be directed at Binance itself. In a desperate bid to secure Gambaryan’s release, Binance reportedly offered Nigeria a $5 million ‘down payment’—a fraction of its enormous unpaid tax liability. This offer, facilitated through the company’s legal representatives, was outright rejected by the government. This is why it is laughable for Gambaryan, who left Nigeria on the grounds of high-powered diplomacy and not acquittal, to now accuse Nigerian government officials of soliciting bribes.

    Binance’s own admissions—operating illegally in Nigeria for six years, facilitating transactions worth $21.6 billion in 2023 alone, and failing to comply with anti-money laundering laws—speak volumes about the scale of its misconduct. The company also confessed that, as of early 2024, it had at least 386,256 active users in Nigeria and generated net revenue of $35.4 million in 2023, yet with no commensurate tax returns to Nigeria. Binance has since agreed to negotiate further on the possibility of providing Nigeria with a list of the top 100 Nigerian users of its platform while also hiring two firms, Baker Tilly (accountants) and Chainalysis (blockchain experts), to help determine the company’s exact tax liability.

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    The allegation against Ribadu appears to be a well-orchestrated distraction, and that is what the trending revelations initiated by Premium Times show. With the facts now exposed, it is evident that Gambaryan is attempting to rewrite history—to shift focus from Binance’s illegal operations, the diplomatic pressure exerted by the U.S., and the legitimacy of Nigeria’s enforcement actions. By accusing Ribadu, he seeks to absolve himself and his company of wrongdoing while framing Nigeria as a corrupt state.

    However, the facts tell a different story. The Nigerian government, in refusing Binance’s $5 million offer, has demonstrated integrity. The negotiation leading to Gambaryan’s release, while diplomatic, was in Nigeria’s best interests. Most significantly, no evidence supports his bribery claims—only the desperate words of a man trying to clear his name at the expense of the truth. The negotiation has also inspired the establishment of the U.S.-Nigeria Bilateral Liaison Group on Illicit Finance and Cryptocurrencies. These gains strengthen Nigeria’s economic and security interests.

    The Gambaryan affair should serve as a lesson on the resilience of Nigeria’s institutions in the face of external pressure. Rather than bow to intimidation, the government championed complex negotiations with strategic foresight and secured tangible benefits while upholding its legal framework. Nigeria is now battling Binance in two separate court cases. One is a $35.4 million money laundering case brought by the EFCC, in which Gambaryan and Anjarwalla are no longer defendants following an amended charge on November 25, 2024, about a month after Gambaryan was freed.

    Gambaryan’s latest accusations should be dismissed as the last desperate act of a man who, having evaded justice through diplomatic pressure, now seeks to rewrite the narrative. The real story—the one supported by evidence—reveals a Nigerian government committed to economic sovereignty, the rule of law, and the national interest. As the truth emerges, it is clear that Ribadu and the Nigerian authorities have nothing to answer for—except the strength of their moral character in defending the country’s integrity.

    •Gata, a journalist and analyst writes from Abuja.

  • Lagos: Towards cleaner, sustainable future

    Lagos: Towards cleaner, sustainable future

    By Babajide Fadoju

    The recent wave of criticisms targeting Lagos State’s environmental efforts is not only misleading but dismissive of the substantial work being done to transform the city. It is one thing to critique; it is another to acknowledge real progress.

    A recent statement from Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour portrays Lagos as an environmental disaster, suggesting that the state has failed in waste management, sanitation, and urban cleanliness.

    However, such a narrative is both inaccurate and ignores the verifiable, strategic reforms implemented under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, particularly through the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources led by Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab.

    Lagos generates over 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, the highest of any city in West Africa. Managing such an immense volume of waste requires more than ad hoc suggestions; it demands structured policies and consistent enforcement. Unlike those who claim the solution is as simple as sweeping the streets, the government has implemented a comprehensive waste management strategy.

    LAWMA ensures daily waste collection across all 57 local council development areas, while tricycle compactors have been deployed to service hard-to-reach areas. Recognizing the need for long-term solutions, the government is transitioning from landfill dependency to a structured recycling and waste-to-energy system.

    In a bold step towards modernizing waste disposal, the government has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to decommission the Olusosun and Akesan landfills.

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    These closures are pivotal to mitigating environmental hazards and promoting sustainable urban living. In addition, a waste-to-energy power plant in Epe is being developed to process 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, generating 80 megawatts of electricity, further revolutionizing the state’s waste disposal system.

    Beyond this, partnerships with international firms such as Jospong Group, Lafarge, and Harvest Waste are ensuring improved recycling, plastic-to-fuel conversion, and electronic waste management.

    These are concrete steps towards a cleaner Lagos, not empty rhetoric.

    Public sanitation is another area where significant progress has been made. Over 1,700 public toilets have been established across transport hubs and informal settlements, complemented by Modular Septage Pre-Treatment Plants (MSPP) to ensure proper faecal sludge treatment.

    The Lagos Wastewater Management Office monitors more than 300 private wastewater treatment plants, ensuring they adhere to sanitation regulations. The state’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) policy underscores a structured approach to sanitation management, ensuring financial and environmental sustainability.

    Moreover, existing public facilities are undergoing extensive refurbishments, reflecting a holistic approach to improving hygiene standards across Lagos.

    Lagos’ waterways, previously clogged with refuse, are now being systematically cleaned.

    The Lagos Marine Waste Operations remove tons of waste from canals and lagoons daily using waste-collection boats and river booms to intercept debris before it reaches the ocean. Meanwhile, urban greening efforts have resulted in over 54,000 new trees being planted across the city, with an additional 50,000 trees planned within the next two years.

    The commitment to afforestation was recently reinforced with the planting of 157 trees in Dolphin Estate, ensuring a greener, more environmentally resilient Lagos.

    Beyond waste management and sanitation, the government is also making significant strides in infrastructure.

    Lagos has embarked on a mission to increase its daily potable water supply to 100 million gallons by 2027, with major revamps of Adiyan and Ishashi waterworks underway. Agreements with WaterAid will restore water supply in underserved communities, underscoring the administration’s commitment to long-term infrastructure development. Additionally, the rehabilitation of the Akilo Micro Waterworks in Ifako-Ijaiye is poised to restore potable water supply to thousands of households, further cementing Lagos’ dedication to sustainable water resource management.

    Housing is also a key component of environmental sustainability. Addressing the housing deficit remains a cornerstone of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s agenda. The Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (LagosHOMS) has already delivered over 20,000 affordable housing units, with 704 additional units under construction in Ikorodu. In December 2024, the administration signed a MoU for the construction of 704 two-bedroom apartments in Odo Nla, Ikorodu.

    These efforts not only provide shelter but also promote proper waste management within planned communities, reducing environmental degradation associated with informal settlements.

    While the government leads with action, citizens must also take responsibility. It is easy to critique LAWMA, LASEPA, and EFAG from the side-lines, but the reality is that adherence to environmental laws determines the success of these efforts. Market traders must stop dumping refuse into drainage systems, businesses and residents must subscribe to waste collection services instead of engaging in illegal disposal, and communities must support the ban on styrofoam and single-use plastics. Without collective action, the best-laid plans of the government will not achieve their full impact.

    Empty Criticism vs. Measurable Impact

    It is easy to list problems. However, the real task lies in addressing them with strategic, long-term solutions rather than sensationalism. The Lagos State Government is implementing policies that require time and collective responsibility to achieve lasting impact. No city of Lagos’ magnitude transforms overnight, but the progress is undeniable.

    Lagos is not stagnant. Lagos is working. All may be fair in politics but not all is fair in leadership. This is about the people, not scoring some cheap political points. Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab and his team remain committed to making Lagos cleaner, healthier, and more liveable. Constructive engagement—not alarmist rhetoric—is what Lagos needs to move forward. Constructive engagement and collective responsibility from all stakeholders are essential to actualize these objectives and ensure enduring progress.

    •Fadoju writes from Ikeja, Lagos.