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Time to Audit NGOs in Nigeria

By Alade Fawole

“USAID is a key component of the US government’s “regime change” operations worldwide. USAID spends billions of dollars every year propping up “NGOs” overseas that function as shadow governments, eating away at elected governments that the US interventionists want to overthrow. Behind most US foreign policy disasters overseas you will see the fingers of USAID. From Ukraine to Georgia and far beyond, USAID is meddling in the internal affairs of foreign countries…” (Ron Paul, February 4).

Coming from a politician and former member of the United States Congress, this is certainly beyond what can be casually categorised as reckless or infantile assertion, hence it should be taken seriously by developing countries which are recipients of US and other foreign aid.

With regards to the activities of non-governmental organizations operating in Nigeria under the cover enabled by current democratic governance, I penned a cautionary piece titled “Foreign NGOs and their Greek Gifts,” (The Nation, July 27, 2022) where I warned of the need to beware of official US aid-giving agencies, specifically USAID and its sidekicks, namely, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), International Republican Institute (IRI), and National Democratic Institute (NDI), which are deeply involved in so-called pro-democracy activities in the country but which are in reality the Trojan horses for US intelligence agencies.

I also warned that though it might sound crazy “but it is true that these ‘democracy’-aiding agencies actually have invisible umbilical cords with the US Central Intelligence Agency that enable it to plant and embed its operatives in their overseas offices and field operations. This is neither an idle conjecture nor one of those conspiracy theories.”

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But I still won’t be surprised if some dismiss my warning as unnecessarily alarmist, or at worst a ventilation of some conspiracy theory intended to malign the US and its bountiful munificence in ‘helping’ and ‘promoting’ our young democracy. I am not unmindful that several prominent Nigerians, mostly academics who have abandoned university teaching and research, are deeply involved in NGOs and that many have made highly financially rewarding careers in NGO activism in the country, sometimes unwittingly promoting a myriad of foreign-dictated agendas like human rights, democracy, women liberation and empowerment, genital mutilation, child rights, human trafficking, rape and gender-based violence, even LGBTQ+.

To be honest, I have no objections to the issues they focus on or promote, except of course the gender-bending LGBTQ+ which offends against both my faith and culture, and against which subsists a law duly passed by the National Assembly and assented to by then President Goodluck Jonathan.

For the sake of our country, its fledgling democracy and development, it is high time we conducted a proper comprehensive audit not just of the finances but all activities of all NGOs operating in Nigeria and receiving their funding from foreign sources, since USAID, their main benefactor is itself to be audited. I know that this call is bound to kick up a storm and pushbacks, or possibly attract flagellation for me from concerned NGO activists, but I am convinced it is even more desirable now against the backdrop of copious revelations (not mere accusations anymore) since President Donald Trump issued the Executive Order to temporarily freeze all foreign funding activities related to USAID for 90 days, and also in line with Ron Paul’s assertion referenced above.

Shouldn’t we honestly be concerned about those local NGOs being funded by USAID? Let’s be honest with ourselves, those outside organizations providing funding for local NGOs might not necessarily be doing so from purely altruistic intents, and it has become clear that USAID in particular is not in the business of altruism. I remember a common aphorism popular among us friends back in my undergraduate days, and which is ever relevant: we have two hands, one for giving and the other for receiving. Implication: we naturally expect something in return for whatever we give! This is even much more relevant in international relations where altruism is not considered a strong virtue. Nations act in their self-interest and would naturally entertain expectations of rewards for any good they do, to receive something in return for what they give. What nations give and what they receive in return may not necessarily be equal or commensurate, but they at least receive something in return.

In the piece referenced above, I did warn that “coups and other violent forms of regime change are integral to America’s diplomatic activities in any country where the US has a resident embassy, and where its aid-disbursing agencies have set up shop to fund the activities of local NGOs, community-based associations, civil society organizations, pro-democracy, human rights bodies and sundry ghost organizations”.

Am I accusing our local NGOs of surreptitiously working against the interest of the nation? Certainly not! But it is important to realize that the so-called aid-giving agencies mentioned above have been severely implicated in organizing and sponsoring “colour revolutions” to topple governments in different countries across the globe. Emblematic examples: the Rose Revolution in Georgia (2003), the Orange Revolution in Ukraine (2004), the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan (2005), the Arab Spring in parts of North Africa and the Middle East (2011), the Velvet Revolution in Armenia (2018) to name a few. Instead of launching outright military operations which are often costly in terms of manpower and resources, the US, according to Global Times, “prefers to use colour revolutions as a tool to intervene in other countries internal affairs to subvert governments in order to reinforce its global control.”

Let it be made clear to our so-called pro-democracy NGOs and activists that the United States which sponsors them is itself neither a democracy nor truly interested in democracy anywhere in the world for that matter. America’s long history and ignoble record of toppling democratically elected governments in the post-WWII era (beginning with Iran in 1953) because it covets their vast natural resources makes it a patently bad advertisement for liberal democracy, as many have begun to perceive that Washington’s insistence on democratization across the globe is nothing but a suitable mechanism for empire-building. Nigeria’s possession of vital natural resources such as hydrocarbons and others that the US covets, makes it a candidate for destabilization, regime change and intimidation to enable America maintain unimpeded access to those resources, and as to as much as practicable, deny them to geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia.

Our hapless Democratic Republic of Congo has been a basket case and a site of murderous confrontations since the CIA intervened in its internal affairs at independence in 1960 to assassinate Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, destabilize it, and impose three decades of Mobutu Sese Seko’s tyrannical rule, and all these because the country is rich in natural resources the US and its European allies covet. Shouldn’t the knowledge that DR Congo is nothing but a victim of its natural resources endowment serve to wake us up to the objective reality that the US is not our friend, it is actually not anyone’s friend for that matter? An in the event that we deceive ourselves, let’s remember Henry Kissinger’s pungent assertion: “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal!” A word is enough for the wise.

•Prof Fawole writes from Ikire, Osun State.

February 7, 2025
Looming US deportation of Nigerians

By Olusoji Daomi

In the ever-turning wheels of global geopolitics, immigration remains one of the most contentious issues of our time. The Trump administration, famous for its hard-line stance on border security and immigration control, has once again drawn the world’s attention, this time with a policy shift that places nearly 3,690 Nigerians at the precipice of deportation. This latest crackdown, spearheaded by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), marks a significant escalation in the administration’s determined effort to tighten America’s borders and enforce stringent immigration laws.

While the storm of deportation has long brewed over the undocumented populations of Mexico (252,044 individuals) and El Salvador (203,822 individuals)—two of the most affected countries—Nigeria has now emerged as a focal point in this aggressive immigration purge. The implications for Nigerians residing in the United States are dire, and the ripple effects on Nigeria’s economy, social fabric, and international relations cannot be understated.

President Donald Trump, a leader famed for his unapologetic nationalism and no-holds-barred policy-making, has never shied away from his disdain for illegal immigration. From the moment he first assumed office in January 2017, his rhetoric has been laden with promises to fortify American borders, curb the inflow of undocumented migrants, and clamp down on those who have overstayed their welcome.

Among his first executive orders was a directive to halt birth-right citizenship, an age-old policy that granted automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. He dispatched additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, reinforced interior immigration enforcement, and significantly expanded the deportation apparatus of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division.

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Fast forward to November 2024, and the United States is witnessing the largest mass deportation initiative in recent history. With over 1,045,549 individuals on the ICE’s Long-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal, the numbers are staggering. What was once a slow-moving machine has now been jolted into high gear, sending shockwaves through immigrant communities—including thousands of Nigerians.

The deportation of Nigerians from the U.S. is not just an immigration issue; it is a diplomatic dilemma of profound proportions. Nigeria, often regarded as the giant of Africa, maintains an intricate relationship with the United States, spanning trade, military cooperation, and foreign aid. However, this relationship now faces a new test.

Similar deportation conflicts have already erupted on the international stage. In recent weeks, Colombian President Gustavo Petro found himself at loggerheads with the Trump administration after initially refusing to accept deportees from the U.S. Concerned about the inhumane treatment of migrants, Petro resisted, sparking a diplomatic standoff. In response, Trump threatened harsh economic sanctions, including a 25% import tariff and severe financial penalties on Colombia. Ultimately, negotiations saw Colombia reluctantly agreeing to accept deportation flights, albeit under strict humanitarian conditions.

The question now looms large—how will Nigeria respond? Will the President Bola Tinubu administration take a stand against the forced return of its citizens, or will it acquiesce to the demands of the United States, as Colombia ultimately did?

The deportation of nearly 3,700 Nigerians is not merely an issue of border control; it is a looming social and economic crisis waiting to explode. Nigeria, already grappling with high unemployment rates, economic instability, and worsening insecurity, may soon find itself burdened with a sudden influx of returnees—many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years, built lives, and contributed to its economy.

Many deportees will arrive in Nigeria with little more than the clothes on their backs, stripped of their livelihoods, possessions, and savings. With Nigeria’s unemployment rate hovering at over 33%, where will these returnees find opportunities? How will they reintegrate into an economy already struggling to support its own?

The returnees will not only battle economic uncertainty but also social alienation. In a society where migration is often seen as a badge of honour, deportation carries a harsh stigma. Many will be viewed as “failures,” further compounding their psychological and emotional distress.

History has shown that sudden, large-scale deportations can exacerbate crime rates, as individuals with no economic safety net may turn to illicit activities to survive. Given Nigeria’s ongoing battle with banditry, terrorism, and urban crime, the country cannot afford to ignore this potential consequence. The Nigerian government cannot afford to be a silent spectator in this unfolding drama. To navigate this crisis, a multi-faceted approach is necessary:

Nigeria’s foreign ministry must immediately engage with the U.S. government to negotiate humane and structured repatriation. This means ensuring that deportees receive dignified treatment during deportation and post-arrival assistance. The Nigerian government, in partnership with international organisations, must launch economic reintegration programmes tailored to returnees. Vocational training, small business grants, and job placement services will be crucial in preventing destitution and criminal recidivism.

A well-structured psycho-social support system must be put in place to help returnees deal with the stigma of deportation. Counselling centres, support groups, and public awareness campaigns can help reframe the narrative around forced migration. The Nigerian embassy in Washington D.C. and its consulates must provide legal guidance to Nigerians at risk of deportation. Some individuals may qualify for asylum, humanitarian relief, or legal pathways to remain in the U.S. Legal aid initiatives should be prioritised. At home, Nigeria must address the root causes of migration—poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. By creating an environment of opportunity and stability, we can reduce the desperation that drives our citizens to seek greener pastures abroad.

As the Trump administration tightens its grip on immigration enforcement, thousands of Nigerians stand on the edge of uncertainty, staring into an abyss of displacement. Their fate, however, is not just theirs to bear—it is a national concern that demands urgent intervention.

Will Nigeria rise to the occasion, wielding its diplomatic prowess to secure fair treatment for its citizens? Or will it, like a ship without a rudder, drift along the tides of global politics, allowing its people to be cast away without recourse? The answer lies in the hands of Nigeria’s policymakers, diplomats, and leaders. History will judge whether they stood as custodians of their people’s welfare or mere spectators in the face of adversity. For the thousands of Nigerians anxiously awaiting their fate, the clock is ticking—and so is the weight of history.

•Daomi is a Lagos-based legal practitioner.

February 7, 2025
Southwest and insecurity

By Oluwole Ogundele

Boko Haram insurgency rooted very firmly in unbridled Islamic fundamentalism and cultural colonialism started 20 years ago or thereabouts in northern Nigeria. This ugly development has become Nigeria’s number one enemy or monster, thereby making peace and progress on a sustainable scale, a wild goose chase. Many innocent lives and property have been wasted. Indeed, Nigeria has become a geo-polity where humans are killed like chickens almost on a daily basis.

However, both local and international collaborators of Boko Haram and several other satanic groups continue to make the struggles against their activities very unsuccessful. Some community leaders appear to have become complicit. Local leaders who are supposed to protect their people have been reported in the media to be supporting these evil members of the society. Who are we to trust? Even our immigration policies appear to encourage dangerous foreign neighbours to enter Nigeria without proper scrutiny.

It is not an overstatement to claim here that the Nigerian immigration management (in the last eight years or thereabouts) has been very loose. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an overhaul. Unfettered religious sentiments and very narrow ethnic/village solidarity have combined to reduce many of the traditional and political leaders to nonentities. The quality of political leadership of any system determines the degree of its success or failure as the case may be. Leaders including security agents who are surreptitiously or otherwise supporting insurgents and/or kidnappers are a monumental disaster to society.

The insecurity rate of Nigeria reached an unprecedented level in the last eight years, largely as a result of the points stated above. This situation has continued to engender more economic hardships and hopelessness both at the national and sub-national levels. Our political leaders (with a few exceptions) have failed us. They have thrown caution to the winds primarily because of their almost irredeemable, primordial stone age mentality. Not surprisingly, Nigeria bleeds profusely. It worries me a great deal, that some Nigerians (probably due to spiritual bankruptcy) are still celebrating those leaders who have robbed them of their dignity and economic progress in a number of ways. Huge monies have been spent on curbing the menace of insurgency and other forms of violence. But yet there are little positive results until very recently. Huge budgets continue to be set aside for this contemporary self-created problem. Indeed, to those who are benefitting from shedding the blood of innocent people, insurgency, banditry and/or kidnapping are a lucrative business. No scruples because they have sold their souls to Satan. Such a godless group of people will not want Nigeria to know peace. Painfully, the Nigerian youth are being thoroughly polluted and/or miseducated.

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Anybody with a healthy/godly conscience will appreciate the fact, that PBAT is trying hard to combat the menace of insecurity especially in the northern region, where the blood of innocent citizens flows like a river. However, this assignment is too humongous and complicated to be completed overnight, even by a magician. This is time for good governance as opposed to smelly politics of greed and desperation. But as President Tinubu confronts these insurgents and other evil people who are prepared to run Nigeria aground, the southern governors cannot afford to go to sleep. They must use all the resources at their disposal to flush out these evil people from within and without their states. It is an insult of huge dimensions, for some foreigners to be disturbing the peace and progress of our land. Enough is enough! It is naturally expected that more and more Boko Haram members and other deadly groups will be moving southward as PBAT is dislodging them. The National Assembly needs to enact a law that makes kidnapping punishable by death. The so-called deradicalisation of ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members, is a disservice to God and humanity. It is a clever ruse!

The southwest governors, regardless of political affiliations, should strengthen their alliance so as to crush the menace of insecurity or reduce it to the barest minimum. A stitch in time saves nine. It is cheaper and wiser to nib in the bud, the regrouping of all kinds of dangerous persons in our land. It is very worrying, that the Nigerian leadership culture is not embedded in proactivity. Most of our political leaders are good mourners, with the usual rhetoric that every calamity is the will of God. We are, out of ignorance, giving Providence a bad name.

How can some dangerous elements from Niger and Mali know where to stay in the southwestern forests without the support of certain local accomplices? How can they be moving into our regions with huge arms and ammunition without being detected? Does it mean that our intelligence gathering mechanisms are inadequate or what?

Are we still in the stone age period without modern technologies for intelligence gathering and scrutiny? Who is fooling who? The governors, working in collaboration with local leaders can change the current nauseating narrative enshrined in “village-ness’’ or primordial philosophies of unspeakable proportions. They (the state governors) should with due respect, stop setting questions for themselves and marking the scripts. In other words, they must allow the led to assess them instead of eulogizing and/or celebrating themselves. Self-congratulations are inappropriate in this context! Again, this is a democracy. Consequently, power belongs to the people as opposed to a few ‘powerful’ individuals often with behaviours that do not match whom they claim to be in actuality. In other words, our state governors should focus much more on good governance, and certainly history will judge them accordingly. Afterall, nobody can bribe history.

Although men and women of profound integrity have become an endangered species in today’s Nigeria, the political leaders can still begin to work more than hitherto for the common good. This is possible through the lens of justice, equity and fairness. Each political leader is writing his curriculum vitae that will outlive him. Any state governor who fails to provide adequate security (despite the positive body language and efforts of Mr. President) has no justifiable reason to remain in office. Let the forest guards service be fully operational. These guards working in collaboration with the Amotekun Security Network and other stakeholders should be able to monitor each state. There should be no ungoverned spaces in the southwest. Bad eggs among them must be fished out and dealt with according to the law of our land.

Community leaders are also critical in this regard. We should not allow bandits and kidnappers to completely destabilise us before appreciating the fact, that there is need for proactivity. There is fire on the mountain! Both the leaders and the led particularly in the Southwest, have to be much more vigilant than before. This is the time for our governors to demonstrate that they are capable of managing their states. They must craft a much safer environment for the citizens to flourish. No basis for cowardice. A new Sheriff (with the mind-set to serve humanity) now occupies Aso Rock Villa. Let us re-claim our collective, age-long dignity that has almost completely vanished.

•Prof Ogundele is of Dept. of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan.

February 7, 2025
The Trump revolution and global change

By Mike Kebonkwu

The world has never known a tyrant; Donald Trump is a tinpot dictator. Predictably, he is going to be the last “king” in America if that great nation survives his leadership. America appears to have gone it’s full circle in its hegemonic dominion of world affairs. There has been gradual erosion of its power of influence with successive government. President Donald Trump is a gatecrasher into the American political establishment. He has the mercantile mentality of a buccaneer and a ruthless wheeler-dealer in all his business, including his politics.

Donald Trump wears the face of an emerging America. He represents the changing face of ultra-right-wing supremacists’ renaissance and patron of the Proud Boys, the foot soldiers of his campaign. Trump is an accident waiting to happen; he is highly combustible and Americans know it. American voters endorsed him overwhelmingly, including in the Electoral College with all their political savvy.

President Trump has just started a revolution with global impact that is going to redefine the demography of the world and diplomatic relationship and trade. What drove his campaign is his captivating sloganeering of making America great again. It literarily, translates, we don’t want you in America, go home! At the end of his government, America will not remain the same again; there is likelihood of decline of America’s sphere of influence if not an outright fall like the empires of old. It is also going to bring about the ascendency of China because the world needs a rallying point of leadership which China is gradually assuming.

Trump is a narcissist redhead racist who hates immigrants even though he is the son of first generation immigrants, of mixed German-Scottish parentage. He has made good his promise to deport undocumented immigrants from the United States of America; starting with Latinos and Africans. We should be ready to receive our people in Diaspora from American and other European countries with open arms. As our people say, go back home is not a curse! We should not wait to be brought back to Africa in body bags. We should come back and fight our battles at home; bad governance and corruption which are the reasons our citizens go into voluntary servitude to America and Europe.

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Let us stop the ethnic and religious wars amongst us which are promoted by the ruling elite and religious leaders to remain in political relevance while looting the treasury. Trump may just be the elixir that will change the narratives in our countries and global leadership, including international organizations and agencies. America under Trump is not going to be Father Christmas to international organizations any longer. Trump will stop the world from worshiping at the foot of the American deity of dominance and it would be, to your tents O Israel! America will collapse and lose its relevance also.

It was not for nothing that Americans voted overwhelmingly for him; Trump typifies the new American dream; a dream not of open arms for all-comers under the sun, hardworking or brilliant but for the supremacist whites. There is a Trump in every European country; it is the new fad in France, Italy and Germany; just name it.   Trump is a representative of the worst of humanity; seeing other nationals and races as offensive and intolerable and therefore determined to expel all foreigners to achieve his objective.

Why are people streaming to America from Africa, Asia and the Arab world? There is law, there is order to some extent and there is security and accountability. Migration is a human phenomenon and it is as old as time and man. There are rules of migrations in modern days with permanent boundary lines of nations. It is no longer like the Biblican exodus of Abraham from Ur or the Israelis to Egypt.

We have some of our best in America and Europe; skilled workers and manpower whose services would have developed our countries of origin that have been taken over by terrible political leaders. Leaders who are treating our people like subhuman apes, living large in wanton opulence and stealing what they do not need to warehouse in offshore accounts.   It is good to have many more Trumps if only that will drive us to recalibrate and reset our brains to deal with core issues bad governance and corruption driving our people into second slavery.

We abandon our infrastructure to decay and go for medical tourism abroad and we expect respect from leaders and countries of the world. How many African leaders were invited to Trump’s inauguration? Yet our leaders run to America every time for endorsement and we pride ourselves in that; what a shame! This is now enough to provoke us to interrogate the leadership of our different countries and our reputation and global reckoning. Americans fought for what America is today; ditto other nations of the world. Here we are, we cannot tackle insecurity, we are negotiating with criminals and insurgents; we keep playing politics with the lives of citizens at home and you are asking for respect abroad. You allow bandits and insurgents to be collecting taxes and levies from citizens and negotiate with kidnappers to deliver ransom money.

Africans should come back home and deal decisively with corruption and bad governance. You cannot prefer the comfort of the home of another person. Those being repatriated should just come back home and lead the charge and take their countries back. Let us stop agonizing and fighting over religion and ethnicity. The political leaders have no tribal boundary or religious demarcations; they are one and hand in glove in the oppression and exploitation of the people. Trump’s revolution may be insane but let it be a catalyst to drive change in the world. America was developed and became great through the exploitation of African slaves, and immigrants from other countries. Leaders of Third World countries loot the treasury of their nations and warehouse them in the vaults of the United States and other European capitals which they used to develop their countries. We are unable to harness our natural resources and we are unable to hold our leaders to account and we are here whining. We choose to run away as economic refugees to Europe and America to escape from bad government and economic hardship hoisted on the people by our own kind and kinsmen. Rather than come together to fight poor governance and corruption, we are belly-aching on religion and ethnicity.

In Nigeria we are as diverse as America but we are not able to manage our diversity like the Americans have done. Sometimes we are even seen promoting same virus of ethnicity in Diaspora. All we just need is revolutionary leaders with a sense of shame that will demonstrate that we have indeed come of age to take our countries back. We should stop promoting Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba identities in bitterness; we should start building Nigerian identity, celebrating our unique traits and diversities of our cultures which should be our strength. Let Trump expel the world from America; we should come back home. We should stop looking for recognitions and handouts from America and Europe or international organizations and agencies. East or West, home is the best.

•Kebonkwu Esq, an Abuja-based attorney writes via mikekebonkwu@yahoo.com

February 6, 2025
Kaduna: An ode to the dawn of peace and tranquillity

By Emameh Gabriel

Normalcy and peace have found residence in Kaduna State for about two years now. How this was possible in a state that sunk into many years of unmitigated conflagration and notoriety of the worst kind as a theatre of tears and blood, ethnic nationalism, killing field and hostage taking, make Nigerians feel like this is just another dream.

To me, the transition of Kaduna from a rogue state where life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” (apologies to Thomas Hobbes), post-2023 to where the walls of the intense acrimony and hatred erected on the foundations of religion, power, politics and ego crumbled in such a record quickness as we all can see.

This piece is an ode to the dawn of peace and tranquillity in Kaduna State. And a salute to the present political leadership in the state in recognition of the fact that the existential troubles that menaced the residents each day in the state between 2015 and 2023 have gone the way they came.

I celebrate the government for its political will to tame the aggravated insecurity of lives and properties in the state by applying the right measures towards peaceful coexistence of its people of diverse ethnicities and creed. Kaduna residents were a people stalked by death at every turn for several harrowing years.

In rejoicing with the people of Kaduna State for the new dawn, we must not blow off the matter of what Governor Uba Sani did or is doing differently that brought about the resolution for peace among the once warring people of the state and blunted the sharp and bloody swords of the destroyers. Answers from the interrogation would not only provide leadership responses on proper management of complex societies, but also let us all into how not to be a leader.

One of the first profound steps Governor Sani took toward restoration of peace upon assumption of office was to bring leaders of the aggrieved communities and tendencies in the state to a negotiating table, where their grievances were understood and addressed with genuineness and sincerity of purpose. These included leaders within Kaduna Central and Southern Kaduna axis, which were the theatres of the endless bloodbath. These leaders, despite being strong and respected voices in the socio-political dynamics of the state and commanding large followership were allegedly brushed aside and left in the cold in the pre- Sani era.

The governor took notice of this fundament error and before carrying on as the leader of the state, Sani ensured that he first off, looked into the matters of the side-lined, the marginalized, the relegated, the abandoned and disempowered in the state and worked out a charter of peace, equity and fairness with them in the interest of the state.

He took his pacifist approaches some notches further by deigning to sit at the negotiating table with the tribe of bandits in the state and forging a peace deal with them. This resulted in the bandits’ leaders voluntarily surrendering their weapons along with their followers. Though this measure drew flaks from critics and cynics alike, it has paid dividends in terms of peace and tranquillity in the state.

Another aspect of its dividends is that the popular Birni Gwari Cattle Market in the state, shutdown by bandits for over a period of 10 years has been reopened and bustling in full session with no criminal incidents recorded so far. Nigerians can recall that Birni Gwari was in the past an axis of evil in the state and in fact, the most notorious violent crime corridor in the state, rendered off-limits to residents of the state by bandits.

The Cattle Market was obliterated by incineration. After rebuilding the market, Governor Sani, who at the occasion of its inauguration emphasized his government’s commitment to building trust and engaging stakeholders reaffirmed his government’s comprehensive rehabilitation programme of anti-social elements in the state in collaboration with the federal government adding that he was dedicated to working tirelessly to engage all stakeholders and building bridges of trust in the state.

The efforts, he said, were simply geared to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the state government under his leadership “to building a safer, more prosperous state for all our people,” noting that “For too long, our communities have endured untold hardship. Farmers were unable to access their farms. Families terrorised by kidnapping and abduction. Their lives were disrupted by violence.”

Besides the fact that over 200 kidnap victims have been released and reunited with their families and loved ones. Having reformed the former bandits in the state, the governor now channelled to actively protect their communities.

Also remarkable is that despite coming on board on Muslim-Muslim ticket, has maintained a principled stand not to exalt the people of one religion over the other in terms of appointment to sensitive and critical positions unlike what was seen in the past. This approach, coupled with the even distribution of developmental projects, has ensured that the loud cries of marginalization that characterized the state have been consigned to the dust heap of history.

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It is a dawn of peace and a journey from turmoil to tranquillity for the people of Kaduna State. The shadows of insecurity in the state that once loomed large, casting a pall over the land, has been neutralized to the barest minimum.

Four local governments stood as no-go zones, their streets echoing with the silence of fear, their people held hostage by the spectre of violence. It was a time when hope seemed distant, like a flickering star in a stormy sky.

But today, the narrative has shifted. Through the unwavering collaboration between the state and the National Security Adviser (NSA), the tides have turned. Peace, like a long-awaited rain, has begun to quench the parched earth of Kaduna. Hundreds of kidnapped victims, once lost in the clutches of despair, have been brought home, their chains of captivity broken.

Governor Uba Sani, with gratitude in his voice, acknowledges the pivotal role of President Bola Tinubu in this transformative journey. It is a testament to what can be achieved when unity and resolve converge, when leadership becomes a beacon guiding a people out of darkness.

Kaduna, once a land under siege, now breathes the air of renewal. The road ahead remains long, but the first steps toward a brighter future have been taken. And in this dawn of peace, the people of Kaduna find not just safety, but the promise of a tomorrow filled with hope.

As the stated in the media recently, “When I came in as Kaduna State governor, there was insecurity in the state. There were some four local governments you can’t even enter but today, because of the collaboration of the state with the NSA, peace has returned. Over 200 kidnapped victims we inherited have been released.”

•Gabriel wrote from Abuja.

February 6, 2025
Trump’s transformation of the democratic system
- By Magnus Onyibe
President Donald J. Trump is actively reshaping the global political landscape, navigating the tension between globalization and fragmentation to establish a new order in the United States and, by extension, the world.

I must disclose that I am an unapologetic supporter of the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. My support stems from my belief that he is undeniably a catalyst for change.

Many, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, have accused Trump of seeking to dismantle democracy. However, a more accurate assessment is that he is challenging the status quo in Washington through radical policy shifts. While Democrats frame his actions as a threat to democracy, I see this as a misleading narrative.

Despite the alarm raised by his opponents, American voters prioritized economic concerns—rising inflation, the high cost of living, soaring housing prices, and the influx of undocumented immigrants—over the warnings about democracy. It was these pressing issues that motivated voters to support Trump’s return to the White House.

The more than 77 million Americans who voted for him did so because they believe he was elected to address what they see as a “woke” and financially struggling America. According to the Oxford Dictionary, “woke” refers to those who are socially aware but is often used pejoratively to describe individuals perceived as self-righteous or overly dogmatic in their advocacy.

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True to his promises, Trump wasted no time in implementing his agenda. During his inauguration, he took a strong stance against “woke” ideology by affirming that the U.S. Constitution recognizes only two genders—male and female—a direct challenge to the LGBTQ+ community. He has since followed through on his pledges by signing a series of executive orders aimed at radically reshaping America.

From my perspective, Trump is simply fulfilling the commitments he made during his campaign. The backlash from those negatively affected by his policies is therefore unsurprising, yet it should not overshadow the fact that he is delivering the change that millions of Americans willingly voted for, believing it will restore the country’s greatness.

As the leader of the free world, the U.S. exerts enormous influence on global affairs, reinforcing the popular saying: when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. This is evident in Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on key trading partners—25% on Mexico, 25% on general goods plus Canadian 10% on Canadian oil, and 10% on China—primarily to curb illegal immigration and combat the flow of fentanyl, a deadly drug ravaging American communities.

Before Trump even took office, his threats of tariff hikes caused global concern. However, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, urged caution: “I am concerned, but my approach is to stay calm. Let’s wait to see what policies are actually enacted before overreacting.”

Despite this advice, some countries affected by the new tariffs —especially Mexico and Canada—have already announced retaliatory tariffs, raising fears of an all-out trade war. Meanwhile, China has opted for a legal approach, filing complaints against the U.S. through the WTO.

Anticipating the economic impact of the trade war, President Trump has urged Americans to brace for temporary hardships, acknowledging that tariffs might contribute to inflation. However, he remains confident that the outcome will ultimately benefit the country, declaring: “This will be the golden age of America. Will there be some pain? Yes. But we will make America great again, and it will be worth the price.”

This sentiment is reminiscent of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s remarks when he removed the long-standing fuel subsidy and floated the naira, leading to economic hardship for Nigerians. He reassured the nation, saying: “I understand that our people are suffering, but there can be no childbirth without pain. The joy of childbirth is the baby. Relief comes after the pain. Nigeria is being reborn.”

Trump’s policies signal a fundamental shift away from globalization—a concept introduced between 1870 and 1914 and later popularized in 1983 by economist Theodore Levitt in “The Globalization of Markets.” The current global order, shaped by decades of economic integration, now faces disruption under Trump’s America First doctrine, which prioritizes national interests over international cooperation.

Interestingly, Trump’s long-held stance on tariffs is not new. In a resurfaced 1978 interview with Oprah Winfrey, he expressed similar views; making it clear that his current trade policies have been decades in the making.

Rather than viewing Trump’s policies as purely negative, it may be worth considering the potential opportunities they create for Africa. Instead of getting caught up in narratives of doom and gloom, could this be a moment for the continent to reposition itself as a key player in the evolving global trade landscape.

It is time for the world to recognize that Africa is not a problem to be solved but a vital part of the global solution. The continent holds vast reserves of critical minerals essential for the energy transition that the world desperately seeks. Rather than being viewed merely as a supplier of raw materials, Africa should be seen as a prime destination for investment and industrial partnerships.

As a long-time advocate for Africa’s economic resurgence, I have consistently argued that the continent needs trade, not aid. It is imperative that major global economies shift their perception of Africa from a passive recipient of aid to an active economic partner. Historically, Africa has been exploited—most notably through the partitioning of the continent at the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference, where European powers divided African territories for their own benefit. As a result, Africa has remained marginalized in global trade, accounting for less than 3% of total global trade, despite having 18% of the world’s population.

To secure a greater share of global trade, Africa must be integrated into the evolving international economic order. Without disruptions to the existing system—such as those triggered by President Trump’s policies—meaningful change is unlikely. Given the resistance Africa has faced in its bid to gain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a fundamental shift in global power structures, like the one Trump is advocating, may be necessary for Africa to be taken seriously as a key player in international trade.

At this moment in history, the world may actually benefit from the tensions between defenders of the entrenched old order and leaders like Trump, who are determined to shake up the system.

Throughout history, transformative change has always required bold action. If astronauts had not pushed boundaries, Neil Armstrong would never have walked on the moon in 1969, a breakthrough that reshaped human understanding of the universe. Similarly, astronomer Galileo’s discoveries challenged the belief that the earth was flat, paving the way for modern scientific thought. It is this same drive for progress that appears to be fuelling Trump’s disruptive approach to governance.

Keyu Jin, a professor of economics and author of The New China Playbook, recently highlighted a growing shift in global trade patterns, noting that China and other nations have been diversifying their markets away from the U.S. even before the current tariff wars. Trump’s policies are merely accelerating this trend. In Europe, for instance, we are seeing a rise in nationalist-leaning leaders, particularly in France and Germany, who are also prioritizing domestic interests over globalism.

This geopolitical realignment is further evident in the expansion of BRICS—a coalition of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—which has recently welcomed new members like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Egypt. As more countries join BRICS to counterbalance U.S. influence, efforts to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar in global trade may intensify. If America continues using tariffs as a tool to pressure its trading partners, it risks pushing them further toward alternative alliances, potentially diminishing its own economic influence.

•Onyibe, a public policy analyst, sent this piece from Lagos.
February 5, 2025
NCC, NLC and the aborted protest
- By Ahmad Sajoh
There are times when it becomes absolutely necessary to empathize with Nigerians over situations that are manifestly adverse. However, sympathy or empathy does not mean overlooking reality. Honestly, that is the situation we are in with the recent tariff adjustment by the telecommunication operators in Nigeria today. Nigerians may be famous for being resilient, but any increase in cost of living stretches such resilience further. But looking at the situation realistically one must be honest in accepting that the dangers of denying the telecom operators a cost reflective tariff adjustment at this point in time may be more costly to the consumers in the long run than allowing them to adjust their tariffs.

Expansion of access and service efficiency are more important even to the consumers than keeping a cap that blocks expansion and better quality service. Perhaps allowing them to adjust their tariff to reflect their operational cost and guarantee return on investment may not only be a better option at the moment but the only one necessary.

Unfortunately that is not the kind of language and reasoning most Nigerians want to hear. As a consumer who relies on the networks even for my work, I am a victim of the adjustment too. But I am courageous enough to look at the bigger picture and empathize with the investors in the sector as much as I do the consumers. I am sure the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) as the regulator may have had extreme difficulty in the balancing act of protecting consumers while evaluating the fears and contentions of the investors.

I wish I had access to the NCC, I would have asked them a number of questions particularly concerning how they were able to navigate the complex balancing act required to approve a tariff adjustment at this point in time.

I am sure it has been a difficult decision to take. However these may not be the real reasons for my intervention though. At the risk of being labelled an apologist for officialdom, I make bold to say my intervention is prompted by the threat from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to hold a protest on February 4. An educated and well informed Labour movement would have adopted a more pragmatic approach to such issues. Their arguments would have been more robust beyond the narrow prisms of grandstanding, attention seeking and empty rhetoric.

First of all, before the Labour centre intervenes, the affiliates grounded within the sector would have provided meaningful discussions on the subject matter. Recall how NUPENG and PENGASSAN used to educate Nigerians on the petroleum industry. What are the unions in the telecom sector saying? Why is NLC as the Labour Centre leading a protest without engaging the public on the real issues in contention?

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For example, the last time a tariff adjustment was carried out in Nigeria was in 2013. That is more than a decade ago. What were the operational costs then and what is it today? As a matter of fact, what were the dynamics of the telecommunications ecosystem then, and what is it now?

For sure, by 2013 data services were on the margins of the telecom operations. Internet penetration was low. The number of internet-enabled devices was fewer. Smart devices were even far fewer. Number of subscribers was also lower than today. Reliance of some sectors like banking on the internet was equally lower than it is today. So how come Labour or anyone will expect the telecom sector to freeze on a time frame when every other thing has gone up?

Let me start from the area that should concern Labour the most. In 2013 the minimum wage was N30,000. Today it is N70,000, more than double the amount in 2013. Other operational costs like the cost of fuel, value of the Naira in dollar terms and electricity tariff have all gone up. Will it not be unfair to expect the telecom industry to stagnate and not respond to these realities?

I am not holding brief for them, but I believe that as private sector players, if there is no return on their investment, they may be forced to divest from the economy. Will Labour rather the operators lay-off staff and scale down operations?

By the way, will the Labour movement keep quiet if telecom operators refuse to implement the minimum wage? Is it fair to ask someone to increase his operational cost without a corresponding fair increase in income?

The telecommunication industry has become vital to the economic well-being of the nation. So many other sectors have grown to be dependent on the telecom infrastructure for both their functions and operational efficiency. The banking sector today will definitely suffer major setback without the back-up of the telecom sector. To that effect, the role of the telecom sector in job creation is beyond just its own industry. It is cross-cutting, involving practically all sectors of the economy. For example, apart from calls and data services, the Point of Sale (PoS) operator in the remotest village will be jobless without data from the telecom operators.

In view of this, what the Labour movement should have done is first to request its affiliates within the telecom sector to dissect the dynamics of the sector in a manner that citizens will understand. How much in terms of costs goes into one minute of calls or one unit of data? How does it compare to the units charged as tariff? In doing so, let them take all variables into consideration.

Take the base transmission stations (BTS) for example; almost all of them work on diesel powered generators. Each requires a minimum of three security personnel on site at any point in time due to several factors particularly the raging insecurity in the country. Despite that, from time to time, bandits and other miscreants attack and vandalize the towers and other installations. There are many other components and infrastructure that are required for the functioning of the sector which are absolutely essential.

Unfortunately most of them are not available locally and must be acquired abroad using hard currencies whose value had gone up. Some of us are more inclined to express the genuine fear that if pushed too hard within an environment that is non-sustainable, investors in the sector may become too uncomfortable and be prompted to withdraw their investments and go elsewhere.

What organized Labour and anyone genuinely concerned about the telecom sector should be advocating for is an affordability template that respects value on investment. In such a situation, the key factors required of the service provider after the tariff adjustment should be service efficiency. The operators must expand their facilities and improve access and quality of service. It is for this reason that the NLC and indeed all patriots should demand that the NCC ensure that there is service efficiency across the whole country, not just the urban centres. Since it is possible to monitor usage such as call time and cost on one’s personal devices, the regulator must also create a window for consumers to lay complaints through digital means in real time.

Nigerians need to extract assurances from the NCC that if complaints are escalated to them it will be attended to immediately. Let all tariffs be a function of service efficiency. Labour and indeed all Nigerians are to task NCC and telecom operators to provide tariff information and conditions affecting consumption patterns. That way, consumers can easily manage their consumption patterns and extract maximum value for money spent. To that effect Labour should insist on the provision of enhanced infrastructure that will lead to growth and service provision to all underserved areas. While investors in the sector are asking for cost reflective tariff system, consumers on the other hand should be demanding a value for money tariff system.

I would rather that the NLC focuses on these issues rather than some ill-conceived protest that is just mere grandstanding. Over the years, the current Labour movement had been suffering from increasing erosion of public confidence in their antics. The Nigerian public is much wiser today.

•Sajoh, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.
February 5, 2025
Anti-immigration policies – Why harsh new rules put in place by Trump and other rich countries won’t last
- By Alan Hirsch
Donald Trump, America’s new president, has cut back massively on US commitments to asylum seekers, blocked all asylum processes and started to remove irregular immigrants.

Trump’s new measures are far reaching. They include the suspension of the US refugee admissions programme. Flights booked for refugees to the US have been cancelled. Arrests and deportations have begun.

Strongly anti-immigrant policies were also pursued under the Biden administration, though Trump’s dramatic steps take them much further. Other countries in the global north have also introduced tougher policies. The 2024 EU Pact on Migration and Asylum sets out tougher border controls, quicker assessment of asylum seekers and swifter removal of those who did not qualify. In the UK, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to bring down the net migration rate and treat people-smugglers like terrorists.

Based on my research into migration over the past 30 years I believe that these measures are unlikely to last. There are two linked trends that make closing the borders of the global north impractical and destined for revision.

The first is that populations in most of the global north are ageing fast (on average) and the fertility rate, or natural population growth rate, has plummeted. There are many more older people as a percentage of the population.

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Secondly, with a workforce shrinking and the dependency ratio (the proportion of non-working to working people) rising rapidly, closing borders to potential labourers from other countries, without any other change, would lead to declining living standards in the global north. Economic growth and government revenues would slow or stagnate, undermining infrastructure maintenance and social service provision.

There are several possible strategies that could be alternatives to anti-immigration measures. Some older people could migrate south, robots and AI could do more work, workers in the global south could perform remote work for the north, and arrangements could be made to allow migrants into the north either permanently or as circulating migrants.

All these strategies are already in use, if modestly. Their application would have to expand considerably.

Misplaced panic

The responses of governments in the global north are exaggerated. Governments putting in place tough anti-immigrant measures have done so on the back of a narrative that there’s been a significant rise in the number of migrants worldwide.

This isn’t true. Some countries, such as the US, Germany and Colombia, have seen a spike in refugees and other migrants. But for the rest of the world the picture remains much the same as it has done for decades.

Foreign-born residents (the most widely used definition of migrants) rose as a proportion of residents worldwide from 2.3% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2020. But in 1960 the number was over 3%, and in the late 1800s migrants made up somewhere between 3% and 5% of the global population.

So, 3.6% is nothing new.

As for refugees, in 2023 there were about 38 million, of whom 69% sought refuge in neighbouring countries and 75% in middle- and low-income countries.

In general, therefore, rich countries have not been carrying the greatest burden.

The real reason behind these tougher measures is that living standards have stagnated in many countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The cost and availability of housing have worsened; inequality has grown since the 1980s; the quality and availability of public services have deteriorated since the global financial crisis of 2008 and COVID-19; and the quality of employment has shifted to precarious work and poorly paid service sector occupations.

This has contributed to the rise of populism, including anti-foreigner sentiment and even xenophobia.

Trump’s actions are the most extreme yet. They include an order to block “aliens involved in the invasion” using “appropriate measures” that give the security forces further powers. The prohibition of southern border asylum hearings in the US and the instruction to “remain in Mexico” means that prospective asylum seekers from third countries may not cross the border to make their applications at the port of entry. They must apply remotely.

Trump has also ordered that birth right citizenship must be limited to the children of certain categories of residents, essentially citizens or those with residence rights in the form of a “green card”. This move has been temporarily blocked in some states by judges as unconstitutional.

In addition, the acting head of the Homeland Security Department gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the power to deport migrants admitted temporarily into the US under several programmes of the Biden administration, targeting refugees from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti, and possibly Afghan and Ukrainian refugees too.

The very first bill to receive final approval from the US Congress under Trump’s second term, the Laken-Riley Act, would require the detention and deportation of migrants who enter the country without authorisation and are charged with certain crimes. This bill was passed with 263 votes and 156 votes against, meaning that 46 House Democrats supported the Republican bill.

In contrast, in the global south, as I have discussed elsewhere, the trend has been in the opposite direction. South American regional communities liberalised migration most extensively in recent decades, but African regional communities have made progress too, as has the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The way forward

Some alternative strategies are leading the way.

In Canada, the Temporary Foreign Worker programme has expanded steadily since 1973, increasingly including long-term circulating migrating lower-skilled workers for key occupations like catering, care, construction and agriculture. Though it is currently under political scrutiny because of the panic in the north over migration, and because of housing shortages in Canada, it is likely to survive and evolve. Similar systems are emerging across the global north.

In the EU, Talent Partnerships are now encouraged. Germany, for example, has talent partnerships with Kenya and Morocco, where they train health workers and IT technicians in those countries to work and live in Germany. Spain has various partnerships in Latin America and Africa. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has chosen to be upfront on the choices. In October last year he told the Spanish people:

Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed off poor country.

The current fashion for population protectionism in the global north is increasingly nasty, but it is unlikely to stand the test of time. Several constructive responses to the rising dependency ratio are feasible, but being open to more migration, possibly in new forms and through new channels, is an inevitable part of the solution.

New formal pathways for working migrants and reasonable systems for asylum seekers, along with full enforcement of rules against irregular migrants, could be the combination that works politically and economically.

•Hirsch is Research Fellow New South Institute, Emeritus Professor at The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. “https://theconversation.com/anti-immigration-policies-why-harsh-new-rules-put-in-place-by-trump-and-other-rich-countries-wont-last-248359”
February 5, 2025
The Umo Eno mesmerism

Ray Ekpu

Most developed countries have completed their duty of providing basic amenities for their citizens. In their countries they have good roads and bridges, well-built schools and hospitals; they have an uninterrupted flow of electricity and water etc. These governments are therefore now pursuing the finer aspects of life and striving to make life more interesting, more useful, more fulfilling. They are exploring finer values such as freedom, equality of opportunities for genders and groups, activities that can promote pleasure and happiness for all including the disadvantaged members of the society, the resuscitation and refinement of long cherished values etc.

It is these activities that have made life more enjoyable for their citizens. It is also these value-adding activities that make it difficult for Nigerians who travel there for further stories to decide to stay back there and work after the completion of their studies.

The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno has made some significant development strides within the 21 months that he has been in the saddle in the state. These strides have caught the attention of the editors of ThisDay newspaper who decorated him recently with the Governor of the Year award along with three other governors.

It is worth remarking that all organisations that give awards to people in the public sphere always do so on the basis of achievements that are measurable. This does not mean that there aren’t other achievements that can be recorded in favour of those persons.

In particular I have noted four difficult-to-measure achievements recorded in my book by the Akwa Ibom State governor. These are what I call Umo Eno’s mesmerism, a subtle means by which some leaders hypnotise their people knowingly or unknowingly.

The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also known as the Iron Lady used the tool of masculine femininity to win the hearts of Britons. And even when she made mistakes such as her stand on apartheid, they forgave her because she had hypnotized them. America’s president, Ronald Reagan, had the gift of oratorical eloquence and a voice that boomed like a gun. He used both to good effect and Americans fell for him. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Brazil in 2014 when Germany won the World Cup. She stood there humbly in the fading sun in a nicely cut suit and warmly hugged all the sweaty young men who had brought honour to her country. They brought honour to her country. She brought honour to herself as a leader of humility. Murtala Muhammed, the Nigerian leader who overthrew General Yakubu Gowon was a leader roundly loved by most Nigerians because of his muscular activism which he displayed during the few months that he ran the affairs of Nigeria. Up till today, he remains unforgettable even though his tenure was short.

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In Nigeria there is an abundance of vanity in leadership. The member of the House of Representatives who told a dispatch rider recently: Do you know who I am? epitomises that unbridled vanity. Some of our leaders may not say so openly, but they do things that indicate that they are the Lord and Master of the manor. They surround themselves with luxury items that they do not need simply to emphasise their bigmanism, their next-to-god-ism, their Almighty-ness.

Many years ago a military governor of one of the northern states arrived from abroad at the state’s airport. The Government House sent a Peugeot 504 to pick him. He refused to ride in the car until they brought a Mercedes Benz car to pick him. Vanity in leadership has not yet vanished from Nigeria.

Some years ago I went for a conference in Cape Town, South Africa. At the scheduled time, the president arrived noiselessly, promptly, accompanied by two cars only. That cannot happen in Nigeria; that does not happen in Nigeria. How will people know that power is on the road if the ground is not made to quake from the booming of the siren from multiple cars that accompany the lonely traveller who may not be as important as the booming of the siren tells us? Powerful men and women in Nigeria must exhibit bluff and bluster as evidential proof of their power and the glow of glamour that their office offers.

Apart from what Governor Eno has done on development issues in the state, there are four things he has done that impress me a great deal. One, before the 2023 governorship election in the state, there were several aspirants but when Umo Eno emerged as the candidate of the PDP, he was bombarded with a flurry of court cases. At the end of the count there were some 40- something cases against him. At the end of the day, he won all the cases, and became governor of the state. Some people expected him to swing his axe menacingly in revenge but he did not go after his opponents. As a pastor, he was probably listening to Jesus Christ who said “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” Or he was listening to the wisdom of William Shakespeare who said “The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief.” Or he was heeding the warming of the Chinese who say “Let he who seeks revenge dig two graves.” Apparently he thinks that revenge can keep your own wounds fresh and he doesn’t want that to happen to him.

Two, now he is building two bedroom bungalows, fully equipped, for the poorest of the poor in all the wards in the state. These are people who do not have people to take care of them and would have had no help if the governor did not look in their direction. I have seen pictures of some of the beneficiaries. They wear tattered clothes, look dejected and truly wretched. When presenting the completed buildings to them, the governor, beautifully attired, hugs them passionately. That is humility, the sign of being a people-centric leader, who does not mind being associated with the wretched of the earth that cross his path in the line of duty.

Three, the governor is now taking care of the senior citizens in the state. These are the people who are old and uncatered for by anybody. Their life is in the balance but the governor has come to their aid by providing them with food and money for sustenance.

I urge the Governor to send a bill to the State House of Assembly so as to legalise the decision and provide a framework for its execution. This will guarantee that it remains a noble contribution of this government to the rehabilitation of a group of people who had exerted their energy in pushing for the betterment of the society when they were young. Now that the cruel hands of age are on them, someone has provided salvation for them.

Four, Umo Eno believes in inclusive governance. Even though he is a member of the PDP, he does not mind meeting and mixing with members of the APC or LP because he is a pan-Nigerian. He invites them to his functions and he attends their own functions too. When Chief Godswill Akpabio, an APC member, was sworn in as president of the 10th Senate he was there. When Chief Don Etiebet, another APC man, marked his 80th birthday in Lagos at the Metropolitan Club, Governor Eno was there. So it can be said that Eno is a refined politician, the type of politician that is hard to find in Nigeria, a politician that has no iota of bitterness in his heart. That is one of the reasons I have enormous respect for him.

For our democracy to survive it must have enduring values. We must not make our politics a do-or-die affair. Yes, we can congratulate ourselves that we have had 25 years of uninterrupted constitutional government but the imperfections are many. We need to refine our democratic values, reduce our desperation for power and give democracy a chance to grow in the spirit of give and take.

Eno is a symbol of inclusive governance and an apostle of politics without bitterness. He does all these without any display of arrogance thus showing that there can be power without arrogance, there can be power accompanied by humility.

February 4, 2025
Ibadan blast and quest for justice

It lately clocked a year since an explosion ripped through the serene Bodija neighbourhood in Ibadan, leaving fatalities and ruination in its trail. January 16th, 2024 was the fateful day when the tranquility of the highbrow area was shattered at dusk by a deafening blast that sent tremors through the ancient city.

The blast, which was said to have originated from a building located on Aderinola Street, claimed five lives. Nearly 80 others were injured in the incident while scores of houses, vehicles and other items of property were wrecked. Few days after the explosion, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed findings that the blast was caused by explosives stored in a residential apartment by illegal miners. According to eyewitnesses, the casualties were either first responders to a fire outbreak caused by an electrical surge that first hit the building where explosives were stored, or passersby too close to the site.

Ever since the explosion, neighbourhood residents have had their lives dislocated, with most of them yet to regain balance. Many survivors were reported to be grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder and other medical challenges that resulted from the blast experience. Many are still displaced, sheltering with friends and relations as their Bodija homes remain in ruins. Hours after the blast, the Oyo government had evacuated affected residents to hotels, but reports cited them saying they were accommodated for just about a month and were kicked out within 30 to 45 days after the incident. The state government also offered assistance by way of building materials like iron rods, roofing sheets and bags of cement to help them rebuild their homes; but the residents reported that the support was grossly inadequate, besides that the materials were for most part unsuitable for use. And so, the residents association opted to sell off the materials and share the proceeds, which were at best token, among estate members concerned.

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The biggest issue for the survivors, however, has been the clamour for justice. Many of them voiced frustration over the delay in holding to account those responsible for storing the explosives that caused the blast, and they demanded transparency in the prosecution of persons that the Oyo government said were arrested in connection with the incident. “Nobody has been prosecuted or jailed for this dastardly act,” an elderly resident was reported lamenting as she recommended that the assets of the suspects be confiscated and used to compensate victims of the blast. Another resident decried the paucity of information about the arrest and trial of those complicit in the incident. “The tenant who rented the place is at large for all we know. God will have to help us in this community and country,” he said

The neighbourhood residents on the platform of Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA) held a memorial service penultimate Thursday in honour of fatalities of the blast, and to mark one year since the incident occurred. At the event, they restated demands on the Oyo government to bring those responsible for the explosion to justice. BERA president, Muyiwa Bamgbose, said the residents wanted those who caused the problem to be prosecuted and there should be transparency and accountability, just so the people could have closure. “They will have the assurance that those who caused the problem have been punished and there would likely be people who will not do that kind of thing again,” he stated. Recounting the ordeal of residents, the estate chief noted that some of them still had nowhere to stay, while others have been staying with relations. “Some still look at where their houses used to be in hopelessness. We hope the support that the government is sending would be expedited, so that hope that is delayed will not make the heart grow sick,” he added.

Governor Makinde had last December inaugurated a 10-member panel headed by Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal to oversee disbursement of relief funds to the blast victims. He made clear though that his government would only provide support, and not compensate those who lost property in the blast. Speaking in a media chat, the governor said suspects arrested in connection with the explosion were already being prosecuted. “The law is taking its course as people have been charged to court and are being prosecuted. Regarding those who lost properties, they will be supported by the government,” he said inter alia.

On the occasion of one-year anniversary of the blast, Makinde restated that some persons were already being called to account. Writing in a personal newsletter amid complaints by the victims, he said: “While properties can be restored, the lives lost are gone forever in the needless tragedy. May their souls rest in peace, and may God continue to comfort those they left behind.” The governor further explained: “As I stated during my media chat last month, those directly involved in the storage of explosives in that residential area have been arrested, and the case is being prosecuted at the Federal High Court, Ibadan. They are being tried for offences under the Terrorism Prohibition and Prevention Act 2022. We know that nothing can bring back those we lost, but we will build a memorial at the site later this year.”

Pertaining to government’s plan to succour the residents, he made known that the panel raised on disbursement of financial support had submitted its report and disbursements would be effected shortly. “We have also started rehabilitating the roads in the area as part of our efforts to fix some of the damage done. We will continue to invest in the security of lives and properties of our people to ensure that preventable disasters like this do not repeat themselves,” he said, adding: “But we all need to work together to support the security agencies. So, if you see something, please say something so the relevant authorities can do something.”

The challenge that victims of the Ibadan explosion and other people have is the official secrecy about the prosecution of persons arrested in connection with the incident. The Oyo government has till date withheld the identity of the suspects, and their prosecution is being conducted away from public glare – most notably the attention of the blast victims. Stated bluntly, it is an unsubstantiated rumour that people are being called to account as far as many people see.

At the memorial service, Oyo government representative and a senior executive assistant to the governor, Idowu Ogedengbe, dismissed suspicions of a cover-up and stressed that prosecution of suspects had commenced. “His Excellency is not shielding anyone. Some were suggesting that there is a government cover-up, but there isn’t any cover-up. He (Makinde) will not spare any offender,” he said. Asked by a reporter why the prosecution is being guarded and why the faces of the suspects were not made public, the official responded: “You don’t come out to speak when the whole exercise is ongoing. I am sure at the right time… Our governor, as I said, is not going to shield anyone if they have been found culpable.”

Justice, the last time I checked, is best served through transparency. A sense of justice typically involves the aggrieved being fully carried along in efforts to make suspected persons account for the harm that was perpetuated. That is not being done obviously in the matter of the Bodija blast, and victims doubt that anyone is really being made to answer for the grievous harm they suffered. Just think of it: people were sitting in their homes, possibly retiring from a long day, when the blast happened out of the blues and ripped up their lives. The five fatalities of the blast were relations of some survivors, who must learn to cope with the bereavement.

True, the lesson also is that there is need for community vigilance, so to raise an alarm whenever untoward activities are noticed in one’s neighbourhood. But lack of vigilance in Bodija did not justify persons storing dynamites next door to people’s homes; neither did it justify the failure of security intelligence that could have intercepted the track of the explosives from source to storage. The least that the victims deserve now is being afforded a sense of justice through transparent prosecution of arrested suspects. That isn’t too much to ask of the Oyo government.

•Please join me on kayodeidowu.blogspot.be for conversation.

February 3, 2025