The Nation Newspaper

Category: People & Politics

  • Enter Katsina’s new Lamido

    Enter Katsina’s new Lamido

    The profile and popularity of Jabiru Tsauri has soared in the eyes of Katsina people, following his installation by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman, as the Lamido Katsina.  AUGUSTINE OKEZIE traces the events that culminated in the turbaning of the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Katsina State.

    The Chief of Staff to the Governor of Katsina State, Jabiru Abdullahi Tsauri, was penultimate Saturday conferred with the esteemed traditional title of Lamidon Katsina by the Emir of the historical city, His Royal Highness, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, CFR.

    At the turbaning ceremony, the Emir urged traditional title holders to reconsider their roles in the maintenance of law and order, stressing its importance as an elixir for peace, unity and tranquility.

    The conferment of the title on Jabiru was in recognition of his significant contributions to Katsina State’s progress in socio-political and economic spheres. The turbaning ceremony was held amidst pomp and ceremony.

    Extending his warm congratulations to Jabiru Tsauri for the honour, the governor declared that the state had risen in honour of “a worthy son of the soil”.

    The Nation recalled that a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, Ibrahim Muhammed Kaula, said the Governor had congratulated his chief of staff and expressed profound gratitude to the Katsina Emirate and the Emir in particular for honouring Tsauri with the Lamidon Katsina title.

    Tsauri had accepted the title of Lamido Katsina, pledging to continue serving the people of Katsina State with unwavering dedication and integrity, and thanking the Almighty Allah for his blessings, showering encomiums on the emirate council led by HRH Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman, for the great honour.

    He also paid glowing tributes to his principal, Governor Diko Umar Radda, for his guidance and unwavering support, pledging his unalloyed loyalty as they both work towards building a new Katsina State.

    The Nation recalls that the Chief of Staff was also saddled by his friend and governor, Dikko Umar Radda, with the chairmanship of the Taskforce on Food Security to tackle food hoarding, high prices and allied matters in the state.

    Royal endorsement for Lamido Katsina

    Alhaji Gidado Isiaka Abdullahi, the Maigari Tsauri or Magaji Tsauri, a community in Kurfi Local Government Area and home town of Tsauri, who commended the appointment, hailed the decision of the Emir to endow him with the title, saying he richly deserved it on account of his philanthropic gestures to people of all races, particularly the people in his home town and state.

    He acknowledged Jabiru as a good village man and indigene well noted for good heartedness

    He said: “Jabiru ensures our people go to school. He is very helpful to the villagers both in training and skills acquisition.

    “He even outpaced the politicians from this village, like Senator Tsauri and the rest, in philanthropy and love for the people.

    “His people see him as a hero because of his kindness and affection.

    “For instance, he pays their WAEC and NECO fees, ensures the youths are employed into government and private offices and engages in financial empowerment and so on. Please thank him for us.”

    Villagers task new Lamido

    The villagers are however requesting through their traditional ruler that the Lamido fulfills his promises to repair the road that link the village to Kurfi Local Government headquarters, as well as the Katsina-Dutsinma and Tsauri –Batsari-Jibia roads.

    Magaji Tsauri, who spoke with our correspondent in his palace in Tsauri, also appealed to the Lamido Katsina to get the government to build a dam in the area for irrigation and other agricultural activities.

    Friends, associates hail Tsauri

    Justice Kabiru Shuabu of the Katsina State High Court aptly captured Jabiru’s humble background and beginning when he recalled in a media chat with The Nation their primary and secondary school days together as classmates.

    He described Jabiru as having positive qualities and attributes from the beginning, which he said had taken him to his present political status.

    He said: “He is very intelligent, broad minded and fit to deliver on any given assignments

    “He has the capacity to achieve set goals and a well-deserved background and upbringing that has prepared him for the future and the desired social strata.

    “Radda would not have found him worthy if he would not use the attributes positively to help the less privileged.”

    A peep into Jabiru’s political future

    While agreeing with the fact that Jabiru can veer into any political or social landscape he desires, Justice Kabiru opined that his friend can also out strive Radda politically if he so desires to engender newly established Lamido Foundation and ensure it is greater than the Gwagware Foundation that propelled Dikko Radda to his present political standing

    He further noted that Jabiru, through his Lamido Foundation, can emulate Gwagware Foundation, and should he sustain the foundation, can reach out also to the less privileged Katsina people.

     Recall that Gwagware Katsina was earlier a title conferred on the present governor by the Emir of Katsina, which incidentally had Jabiru appointed as state coordinator.

    Gwagware Foundation was established in 15 House of Representatives constituencies by Dikko Radda and had Jabiru appointed as coordinator because of his intelligence and brilliant disposition.

    Academic/political ascendency

    Justice Shuabu of the Katsina State High Court aptly captured Jabiru’s humble background as a product of Teachers’ College, Kafanchan in Katsina State where he graduated in 1998.

    He recalled during in a chat with The Nation their primary and secondary school days together as classmates on both circles. He considered Jabiru as someone with positive qualities and attributes from the beginning, which led to his political ascendancy.

    He said: “He is very intelligent, broad minded and fit to deliver on any given assignment. He has the capacity to achieve set goals and a well-deserved background and upbringing that has prepared him for the future and the desired social strata.

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    “Radda wouldn’t have found him worthy if he wouldn’t use it positively to help the less privileged.”                              

    Jabiru’s political journey

    His political journey began when his mentor, Senator Tsauri, picked him up as a legislative aide at the National Assembly, from where he rose to become the Chairman of Association of Legislative Aides. He later joined Senator Idah and later Senator David Mark.

    The Nation recalled that Jabiru was appointed also by Governor Dikko Umar Radda to head a twenty-seven-member committee taskforce on illegal dealers in food commodities, unlawful act of price hikes and hoardings, with offenders being made to face the full weight of the law.

    Tsauri as chairman taskforce on food suppliers reeled out several action plans of his committee, which he outlined to the media after visiting the Katsina Command of NSCDC on a courtesy call, as he sought the cooperation of the agency which he said remains invaluable to the group’s assignment.

    The Chairman further commended the warm reception accorded the committee during the visit. He further revealed that the Taskforce was established to monitor the prices of foodstuffs, address the act of hoarding grains, movement of food commodities and any act that will lead to price hike.

    He said: “Any person found in illegal dealings with food commodities, unlawful act of price hike and hoarding will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “Our personnel at LGAs and boarder areas have already swung into action, and I assure you of all the necessary support, cooperation and timely intelligence that will help uncover these illegal dealings.”

    Not a few Katsina citizens observed the Ramadan periods with stable minds under stable food prices and availability of foodstuffs in the major markets and suburbs. Every citizen of Katsina has suddenly developed a new swansong of praise for Governor Radda.

    Strident voice against banditry

    After a recent banditry attack at Gora Yammama village in Deyi, Malunfashi Local Government Area, Katsina State, Tsauri had cried out that the location had become notorious for high profile banditry attacks, which he said security agencies should prioritise their attention on.

    Narrating to The Nation how he narrowly escaped a harrowing assault from suspected bandits in ragtag dresses, Tsauri revealed that ”Gorar Yam Mama” village which has become notorious for high profile security attacks needed serious security presence. He also assured that the recent security measures embarked upon by the state government would soon catch up with perpetrators of banditry attacks in the state.

  • ‘I still carry scar from hawking bread on Lagos roads’

    ‘I still carry scar from hawking bread on Lagos roads’

    His is an inspiring story of a young man who against all odds chose to do something good for himself. Wilson Akpan rose from being a bread seller in the Lagos traffic to becoming one of the big players in the oil and gas business, by setting up Itswill Global Company Limited. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, he tells his story of moving from the bottom rung of life’s ladder to being a force to reckon with in the business circle. He also reveals how faith propelled him to move on in spite of the challenges he encountered on his journey to the top. Through his Wilson Akpan Foundation, he also helps the less-privileged and aspiring entrepreneurs.

    Given your humble background, what would you tell the youths who are going through what you went through?

    One thing I always tell the youth is that they should not give up on their dreams. Whatever it is that God has laid in their hearts to do, they should just stick to it. They should not allow anybody to talk them down. I am a strong Christian. The only thing that helped me to really grow was my relationship with God. I believe that with God, you can do all things. The book of Philippians 4:13 is my anchor scripture: “I believe I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”

    Does that mean you have to be a Christian to do something good?

     You don’t have to be a Christian to do something great. We all have different religions. But I always tell people that Christianity is not a religion; it is a way of life. It is in Christianity that you find the truth about life. I always tell people that every business principle that you see in this world today is captured in the bible. So if you are a Christian, it is an additional advantage for you to make more.

    If you are of the world, the world will want to lure you against your faith, and when you do that it backfires. But Christians won’t want to do those things against their faith. I believe they have the same doctrine in Islam too. A good Muslim won’t engage in killing to make money. A good Christian will also not do that. When you are a Christian it will help you build your faith and will help you navigate life based on the purpose of your creator.

    Do you assist Christians only?

    The assistance cuts across everybody. As far as you are a youth and, most importantly, less privileged.

    You said you ‘hustled’ early in life, and in the process, you sustained an injury, and the scar is still with you to date. I want you to relive the experience.

    Early in life when I was still selling bread at Berger (Lagos), I remember when I was knocked down by an oncoming vehicle. I didn’t even know that I sustained any injury until I stood up and fell down again. God saved me; other vehicles did not climb me. When I stood up again, I was just hearing ‘e mu, e mu (hold him, hold him). The next thing they called was an ambulance, and it took me to the emergency unit on Berger Expressway, close to Motorways.

    From there, they referred me to the hospital where they stitched the injury. I was in the hospital for a month. Up till today, the scar of the injury is still there. There are times I show my children that this is where I sustained the injury, so, work hard. Each time I see those scars, they make me remember the incident and make me feel that no matter what happens in this life, nothing will take my life. I saw several people knocked down by vehicles at the same place during that period and they didn’t survive it.

    How has the incident impacted your worldview?

    When I reflect on what happened to me, I try to see what I can do to help people. These are the things that give me the drive to do more to impact young ones, especially the less privileged in society.

    Many Nigerians don’t do anything for nothing, but according to you, you started this foundation to assist the less privileged. How does it make you feel when you hear something like “foundation is a scam’?

    Yes, I started the foundation to help the less privileged in society. Well, I have not heard people say that foundation is a scam. Some people told me recently that for me to be doing this at this time, it is like I am a Superman. I’m not really a Superman, but I don’t think anybody will say a foundation is a scam. You can only say a foundation is a scam if the people are not genuine in what they are doing. I’m not looking at amassing wealth; I want to use the little I have to affect my generation, my society and my community positively, and that has been my major drive.

    Are you looking forward to joining politics shortly?

    This question always pops up. When I went to my hometown to empower some youths, and give to the widows, they called me to run for chairmanship position. I am not a card-carrying member of any political party, but I support good governance inasmuch as we want a good person to rule us. For now, no. I don’t know of the nearest future, but for now, I don’t have interest in running for any political office. It is not on my agenda to join politics, maybe in the near future, if God says it is time for me to do that, maybe, maybe not. But that is not my aim of doing what I am doing.

    What really motivated you to enroll for PhD?

    I look at it from this perspective: I am into business, I am also training entrepreneurs, and there is a need for me to acquire all the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to be able to lead these people right. The mentorship programme that I’m doing right now was what made me do an MBA so that I will be able to have an understanding of how to run my business and lead entrepreneurs. If I don’t have the right knowledge to lead them, I won’t be a good leader. Like the programme we just finished, I was one of the major speakers to mentor our entrepreneurs so that they will not make mistakes some entrepreneurs made in the past.

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    Through grit and hard work, you have attained this height. What would you be telling aspiring businessmen?

    They should hold on to their faith; hold on to what they believe; and be passionate about what they are doing. One thing about business is that if you are not passionate about what you are doing when challenges come, you might as well close the business. But if you are passionate about what you are doing, you will succeed. I always tell them that every business has its own secret. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, if you don’t learn about that business, there is no way you will be able to know much about that business.

    What are the challenges of doing business in Nigeria?

    There are lots of challenges in doing business in Nigeria. My thesis is on the impact of entrepreneurs on the Nigerian economy. I’m looking at what entrepreneurs do to benefit the economy. What the governments should do is create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive in Nigeria. How can they do that? It is by giving out single-digit loans to entrepreneurs that will ensure a constant power supply. And there are others I might not be able to mention now that will enable entrepreneurs to thrive in Nigeria.

    I understand that you recently empowered some young boys and girls. What is this all about?

    The Wilson Akpan Foundation was founded out of the passion to help the less privileged and the vision of the foundation is to train, empower, and establish youths in their core areas of interest; make them self-reliant and self-employed. In the last three years, we have been able to train and empower 50 young entrepreneurs in different fields. Our vision is to train and empower 100 youths yearly. Currently, because of financial constraints, we have only sponsored 50 now. That is what God laid in my heart and I have been doing that.

    We don’t only focus on training and empowering youths alone, we also give back to widows and indigent students in public schools. Last session, we went to Pastor Adegboyega Primary School in Ikosi, Lagos, where we donated a sick bay to the school. This session, we went to Olowora Primary School, where we donated books, socks, and writing materials. We also gave them bags. These are the things we have been doing basically over the years. If you go to www.wilsonakpanfoundation.com, you will see most of the things we have done so far.

    Talking about helping the needy, how much do you spend annually on this project?

    Recently, we spent more than N10 million because the bags alone that we made for students cost over N2 million and the books cost N1 million. We train 15-20 people yearly, and for you to train them, you have to empower them. That is what we do. After the training, we empowered them, and we opened shops for the graduates of the training. We spent close to N20 million.

    Where do you get the money to fund the foundation from?

    Currently, we are looking for people to sponsor us. I know we will soon get people to sponsor us, but currently, the money is coming from me. Like I tell people, I don’t look at making all the money; I look at how I can empower society, how to make peoples’ lives better, and how impact society. I’m more passionate about helping the less privileged. No matter what I spend, I don’t feel it. My prayer is that God will continue to provide for me so that I will continue doing what I’m doing.

    At what point did you start this Foundation?

    It was when I travelled down to my home. But before then, I had been sponsoring the education of some people in the universities. I got attracted to them because they had lost their parents. I told their family members that I would take care of their education. Then I discovered that there were lots of youths who were dropouts and had nothing to do. I looked at where I came from and how God helped me. That was when I told them that anybody who had an issue and couldn’t continue their education should let me know. I would take it up from there. That was when I started helping some students in the university.

    I also noticed that there were youths that were not doing anything. I brought them together and I said okay, I was going to train and empower them. I just wanted those youths to be engaged.

    I did not only do this in my hometown in Akwa Ibom State, I also did it in Lagos, Ikorodu where I reside.

    To me, if we help each other, we can have a better society. Most of the menaces we see in society are borne out of youths who have not been able to do anything. As the bible says, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. When they are idle, they do whatever that comes out of their minds. The best way to take them out of the street is for you to empower them. Most of them have the knowledge to do good things, but there is nobody to assist them.

    The foundation was borne out of the passion to see that people are doing well around me. When I look at where I came from and how I strived to become who I am today, I always tell people no matter what you are, you can become somebody.

    I was selling bread in the streets of Lagos, and from there I was able to sponsor myself to school and see where I’m today. Currently, I’m almost through with my doctorate. If I could become what I am today, you too can. We just finished the mentoring series, mentoring both aspiring entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs. I found that most of the people we empowered needed mentorship. That was why we came up with a mentoring programme.

    We have been able to invite people to come and speak. I am also one of the major speakers, based on my ideas and experience as an entrepreneur. My team came up with the idea not only to train, empower, and assist them alone but also to mentor them to make them do well in their business so that once they launch their business, they will also thrive.

    What are the challenges you normally face?

    The major challenge right now is funding because there are lots we can do because I’m only the major sponsor, because of that, funding has been the major challenge currently.

     Was there any time you felt discouraged about continuing with this?

     There was never a time I felt discouraged because this is what I love doing. This is the fulfillment I have when I see people we have trained and empowered doing well. There was a time I went to see some of them and I saw the smiles on the faces of the people that we trained, tears almost dropped from my eyes. They were tears of joy that God has been able to use me to put smiles on the peoples’ faces. Like the bags we gave out to the students in the primary schools, one of the trainees, the people we empowered, was the one who made those bags. It goes a long way to make me happy. These are some of the things that keep me going; when I see them doing well. That is the drive that gives me going.

  • Experts chart way forward as concerns grow over gene-modified foods, others

    Experts chart way forward as concerns grow over gene-modified foods, others

    The controversy surrounding the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods, seeds, crops, and products continues to rage as both the proponents and opponents hold on to their positions. The issue came up again at the 9th National Conference on Environment and Health, organised by the Living Science Foundation at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State. GBENGA ADERANTI examines the issues raised at the conference and the way forward on GM products

    The decision of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) to introduce genetically modified (GM) crops into the country is most probably impelled by the need to find a solution to the food crisis in the country. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods that come from organisms that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering or other techniques.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), GM foods are developed – and marketed – because there is some perceived advantage to the producer or the consumer of these foods. They are meant to translate into products with lower prices, greater benefits (in terms of durability or nutritional value), or both.

    Early this year, the administration of President Bola Tinubu officially approved Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds for use in the country’s agriculture. Earlier in 2018, the country had commercialised its first genetically modified crop, the pest-resistant Bt Cotton, as a means to revitalise its moribund textile industry and boost economic development. Since then, the country has approved the commercial use of genetically modified cowpeas and maize.

    Genetically Modified (GM) crops available in Nigeria include: Bt cowpea. Approved for commercialization in 2019, this pest-resistant cowpea was developed to help Nigeria reduce its reliance on imports and achieve food security. Some farmers have reported between 50 and 60 percent increase in yield with the Bt cowpea.

    Also, TELA maize was approved for commercialization in 2024, making this insect-resistant and drought-tolerant maize variety to become the second GM food crop to be commercialised in Nigeria. Other crops like potatoes are currently undergoing confined field trials.

    Since the introduction of GMOs, many stakeholders in the agriculture sector have queued behind the idea, believing that it was the best route to take, though the idea was met with resistance from certain quarters insisting that GM products were harmful to human beings.

    Allaying the fear of Nigerians, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Rufus Ebegba, clarified that none of the GMOs approved in the country had any risk associated with it.

    Also, the National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN) Kabiru Ibrahim, in a report, expressed optimism that the country can achieve food security faster if it embraces the use of Genetically Modified Organism seeds.

    He explained that GM crops are science-based and have been proven to be safe. Knocking those who alleged a nexus between GM crops and diseases, Ibrahim noted that those averse to the idea are yet to present facts to back up their arguments.

    He insisted that the GM crops would not cause famine, asserting that GMO increases production, ensures higher yield, and leads to prosperity.

    Ibrahim said: “In Nigeria, we have just released the Tela maize. The Tela maize can withstand drought and armyworms, and can withstand stem borers. Also, its yield is higher than the normal hybrid maize.

    “Therefore, the way out of poverty and to get into food security for Nigeria is through GM crops. This is why Brazil is now a developed country. Most of what comes out of Brazil, in terms of corn, beans, and all that, are GM.

    “We have also imported maize for the poultry industry from Argentina and it is in Lagos. Because of the competition between animals and humans, we need to embrace GM crops so that we will be able to optimise our productivity and be able to feed both our animals and humans.”

    He further stated that “any country in the world that you see has food security, as a matter of fact, they also do GMO. Nigeria will attain food security if it embraces GM crops.

    “Our population is very high. Today, we are over 200 million and are struggling or grappling with food security. What will happen when we are 400 million?

    “We should explore all possibilities to attain food security. So anybody who tells you that GM crops or seeds are infertile or whatever, they don’t know what they are talking about.”

    While the proponents of GMOs continue to advance arguments in its favour, the House of Representatives, in May, called for the suspension of GMOs in Nigeria pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation.

     Farmers in the dark

    As good as the idea of GMO could be, The Nation gathered that a large percentage of Nigerian farmers have no idea what it is all about. The majority of the farmers who spoke with The Nation said they were yet to have access to  GM crops, therefore it would be difficult to comment on whether it was harmful or not.

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    A farmer, Tunde Orukotan, said the idea of GM crops is nice. He, however, said it would be very difficult for him to conclude that GMO foods are harmful because he had not done any research to prove that or gain access to unbiased research on it.

    However, he believes that the natural nutritional values of the end products of GM crops and products must have been significantly altered as such the natural benefits were lost. “On the other hand, it could be a viable option for guaranteeing food security because of improved production quantity, especially in the face of global warming that has largely impacted seasonality planning of some crops,” he said.

    An Osun State-based farmer, Akeem Adeoye, said he had never seen GM crops. But he believes it would be nice if the in charge of the crops made it available to farmers since it would assist the farmers and make their jobs easier.

    Adeoye said: “The closest thing is the orange I have in my compound. I just noticed that it has no seed but it is sweet.”

     Exercise in futility?

    One of the reasons why proponents of GM seeds argue passionately in its support is the belief that it could end the food crisis in Nigeria. But this has been faulted by a professor of Health Physics and Environment, Joshua O. Ojo.

    According to him, the food crisis in Nigeria has very little to do with seeds. Rather, it has to do with insurgency (deliberate targeting of farmers in the guise of herdsmen-farmers clashes), poor infrastructure (roads, storage) and expensive agrochemicals, among others.

    Ojo added: “GM foods have not achieved any stated purpose in the countries that have used it for decades.

    “As noted in our communique, the so-called Golden Rice was banned in the Philippines in April of this year while the Permit for the GM maize was withdrawn in South Africa late last month.”

    Like a sepulcher, notwithstanding the argument put forward by the GMO proponents, Ojo insists that there is no merit in the argument that GMO seeds are worth the price.

    He warned that once the country gets stuck with the product, the producers can attach any price or conditions to its availability.

    “For instance, in India, seeds for Bt Cotton were introduced at the price of 7 rupees per kg, only to shoot up to 17,000 rupees per kg as people got used to the product.  The situation is absolutely intolerable for a food product – especially staples.

    “Of course, there could be merits in their use as non-food.  For instance bio-fuels, some pharmaceuticals, basic research, etc.”

    The professor advised that Nigeria must continue to engage in basic research in GMO products, “so we don’t get left behind by the rest of the world, who might use such knowledge against us, for instance in the matter of national security.  The issue in question is the mass deployment of GMOs into that most fundamental of human needs: food!”

      Identifying GMO foods

    Ironically, the majority of the people who campaign vigorously against GMO foods eat the products without knowing.

    According to Ojo, GM foods can only be identified when appropriately labeled. The NBMA Act requires that GMO foods should be appropriately labeled for easy identification. Unfortunately, “This requirement is being breached with impunity. Nobody knows the GMO contents of the beans and the by-products like moin-moin and akara that we have been consuming.”

    Moreover, he noted, NBMA, the agency saddled with this task of labeling, has shirked its responsibilities.

    In an interview with our correspondent, an Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Dr. Ado Garba, disclosed that despite the perceived benefits, GMOs are met with heavy criticism.

    He revealed that currently, 26 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, China and India (19 of which are in the European Union (EU)) have partially or fully banned GMOs “simply because the advantage of GMOs to agriculture and food production is often considered weak or nonexistent, while the risks are considered substantial. 

    “GMOs are also not safe for the environment for biodiversity loss. GMO crops in particular have negative impacts on non–targeted organisms and on soil and water ecosystems.  

    “For example, the expansion of GM herbicide-tolerant corn and soy, which are twinned with herbicides, has destroyed much of the habitat of the monarch butterfly in North America.”

    Garba advised that the introduction of new agricultural technologies, particularly Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), necessitates stringent safety regulations to ensure that food products are safe for consumption.

    He prescribed that adequate testing, monitoring, and public awareness are essential to maintain consumer trust, adding that all GMO products should be labbelled as GMO like it is done in foreign countries.

    Garba noted that the shift to new farming methods can introduce health risks to agricultural workers, including exposure to chemicals and the physical demands of operating new machinery.

    He, therefore, advised that the government should implement safety protocols and provide adequate training to minimize these risks.

    “The success of emerging agricultural practices in ensuring food security depends on robust regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with safety. This includes the development of policies that promote sustainable practices while safeguarding public health and the environment,” he said.

    Experts express concerns

    Despite the optimism expressed in certain quarters, experts have warned that the Nigerian government should tread with caution in promoting GM crops.

    Rising from the 9th National Conference on Environment and Health (NCEH) in Ife, Osun State, Ojo, speaking on behalf of the conference, expressed reservations about GMOs.

    According to the don, the Federal Government of Nigeria should be prevailed upon to suspend granting of further permits for commercial cultivation of GMO foods in Nigeria, until the Act establishing the Nigeria Biosafety Management Agency is appropriately strengthened to enable the agency to effectively carry out the onerous assignment placed on it.

    However, in a joint communique by NCEH after the conference, observations and recommendations on GMO foods were made public.

    The NCEH noted that bioengineering involves unnatural re-arrangements of genetic materials in the living cell and is disruptive to biological diversity at the species and ecosystem levels. This has significant implications for sustainable development.

    Whereas the intervention of bioengineering may well be justified in certain limited spheres of applications, such as tightly supervised interventions in environment and health sectors, but “the benefits for applications in the area of food is questionable. Even if these products were assumed to be absolutely safe and uncompromisingly nutritious, they still portend unacceptable grave danger to the hallowed concept of food sovereignty.”

    The dons also warned that it is not reasonable to expect commercial organisations to invest in production of transgenic seeds that will be able to faithfully reproduce themselves indefinitely –as true seeds are supposed to do. If the clients do not need to revert to the producer from time to time (preferably every planting season), it is impossible for the effort to succeed as a commercial venture. Therefore, “food sovereignty and GMO foods clearly cannot co-exist.”

    Contrary to the notion in certain quarters that GM foods are not harmful, the conference pointed out the adverse health effects associated with GMOs.

    “For instance, the State of Mexico recently submitted a document referencing more than 150 peer-reviewed publications detailing adverse health issues associated with chronic ingestion of GMO foods.”

    According to a communique by NCEH,   “if GMO foods appear to be cheaper on the shelf, the ultimate cost (both to the individual consumer and to the national health expenditure in general) makes it highly disruptive to the economy and consequently inimical to sustainable development.”

    It was also noted that whereas the applications of GMOs in most of the few nations accepting the products involve exotic food products, fruits and delicacies, “the targets in Nigeria are our staple foods. With GM beans and maize already given to commercial cultivation; and cassava and potatoes also slated for the same in the near future, literally the entire staples in Nigeria are steadily being given over to this yet imprecise technology which is still in its infancy. This situation is unprecedented anywhere in the world and it clearly constitutes a grave threat to our long-term food security.”

    The NCEH emphasised the fact that the germlines used for the production of these transgenic ‘seeds’ are designed and developed  as proprietary “black box” products by foreigners, adding that Nigeria would continue to revert to these foreigners as various issues develop over the years in the use of these GM products.

    The experts also noted that the staff members of NBMA are not only qualified and competent, they are quite aware of the risks involved in GMO foods. “It is however extremely worrisome that the NBMA seems closed-minded to receiving informed positive criticisms that could help her in the discharge of her onerous task,” they noted.

    The Nation also gathered that the enabling law and funding level of the NBMA make it extremely difficult for the agency to successfully discharge its duties, no matter how hard the staff tries. For instance, according to current provisions of the law, it is the producers of GM products that conduct their toxicity tests while the results are only passed on to the NBMA for review.

    Furthermore, even though the NBMA 2015 Act (Part VIII Section 32) frowns at the involvement of people with conflict of interests in carrying out the risk assessment for GMO products, current practice at the agency apparently places the bulk of this assignment on the product developers. The NBMA subsequently attempts to verify the claims submitted by the Producers via nationwide surveillance activities on the product’s performance after release. Not only is the agency’s poor funding unable to accommodate such a humongous task, the whole procedure is clearly counterintuitive.

    It was gathered that the NBMA is making virtually no effort to ensure appropriate labeling for the transgenic foods being licensed; a stark violation of the requirements of the 2015 NBMA Act which calls for appropriate labeling and packaging scheme for transgenic foods (Section 23(2) h).

    Many countries are reviewing (and reversing) the approvals that the GMO foods advocates cunningly obtained, especially where food staples are concerned. In the last six months, The Philippines revoked the permit for commercial GM rice (so-called golden rice) on April 17, 2024; Mexico is currently insisting on stopping imports of GM maize from the US, as maize constitutes a staple in Mexico, whereas it is only a delicacy in the US. Cultivation of maize GMO within Mexico itself had been proscribed for over two decades.

      Way forward

    On the way forward, NCEH advised that the NBMA Act 2015 (and as amended in 2019) be urgently reviewed to mandate the agency to send GMO products seeking licensing to multiple reputable universities and research

    Institutions in the country would carry out not only comprehensive risk assessments but also thorough chronic toxicity tests using animals.

    “The results of such exercises, which should be published in peer-reviewed journals, should then be used to guide the agency’s decision on such application,” it stated.

    The conference also recommends that the NBMA must be compelled to implement the requirement in the 2015 Act (Section 23 (2) h), that GMO products licensed by her are duly labelled as “this will ensure that the public is adequately advised and given an opportunity to make an informed choice on what they feed into their bodies.”

    The NCEH also calls on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to put on hold further approvals of GMO foods until nationwide surveillance of the performance of the already approved Bt, cowpea, and GM (TELA) maize has been properly conducted to inform further decisions.

    The Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State teacher, Garba, recognising that the idea of GMOs is not popular, advised that the government should create awareness in public education campaigns to inform consumers about the safety and benefits of new agricultural practices, thereby building trust and ensuring that these innovations are widely accepted.

    According to him, the public has mixed feelings and lacks trust about GMOs, and there is a need for more education about the technology.

     “Some citizens are more concerned that the government should focus on other agricultural challenges, such as insecurity, banditry, and kidnapping, and for providing mechanization,” Garba said.

     NBMA yet to react 

    On Tuesday, The Nation sent a message to the representative of the NBMA at the conference, Ngozi Miracle, who was a speaker at the conference, but she tersely responded, saying “I will get back to you.”

    She, however, had not done so at the time of filing this report, thus failing to respond to some of the issues concerning GMOs, as requested by our correspondent.

  • Toast to Onyema Ugochukwu at 80

    Toast to Onyema Ugochukwu at 80

    Former Editor of the Daily Times, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu turns 80 today (November 9). Lawal Ogienagbon pays tribute to the economist, journalist and politician as he joins the Octogenarian Club

    At a time that journalism had little or nothing to offer, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu dumped his well paying job at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to become a journalist. Ugochukwu, who turns 80 today (November 9), trained as an economist at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) where his study was truncated by the civil war (1967-70). He survived the war in which he fought on the side of Biafra and returned to the UNN to complete his education. Ugochukwu is burly, but he is not a bully. With a frame that heralds his presence anywhere he goes, you cannot miss him in a crowd.

    Dignitaries from all walks of life, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, and eminent journalists will gather in Abuja for some of the programmes earmarked for the day. A major highlight is the thanksgiving service billed for the Methodist Church Nigeria, Cathedral of Unity, Wuse, Zone 3, Abuja. I t will be followed by a reception at the Rainbow Marquee, Area 8, Garki, Abuja. For an accomplished journalist like Ugochukwu, the celebrations will be incomplete without a book or two. There are two publications in his honour to commemorate the occasion. One is an anthology of his speeches titled: “Galvanising Development in the Niger Delta: Selected engagements by Onyema Ugochukwu”. The other is a volume of tributes titled: “Testaments and testimonials: Celebrating Onyema Ugochukwu at 80”. Obasanjo wrote the foreword to the compilation of speeches which is co-edited by John Araka, a former Editor of Daily Times, and Tunde Olusunle, a renowned author and protege of Ugochukwu. Olusunle also edited the tributes in the celebrator’s honour.   

    Ugochukwu’s journey into journalism was not by his own design. It was of the making of a man with a big dream to get the best and the brightest to work in the then Daily Times, the newspaper which name resonated with people across the country. As its chairman/managing director, Alhaji Babatunde Jose, virtually went to the end of the earth to search for qualified people to work for him. It never mattered what you were doing or your pay packet, once Jose was keen on having you, you ended up working for the Daily Times which blossomed into a newspaper empire under his watch, with many subsidiaries to support the publications.

    The poaching of Ugochukwu from the CBN was part of Jose’s manpower strategy of getting graduates to work in the Daily Times. He had looked into the future and seen that, that was the way to go to sustain his legacy at the Daily Times. Ugochukwu was hired as an economist and was appropriately deployed in the Business Times where his skills were required. Jose was an all-hands boss whose eagle eyes surveyed everything under his control. The graduates were specially treated as Jose’s men. He took interest in everything they did. No manager no matter how highly placed could take any decision concerning them without his input as chief executive.

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    Jose had his reasons for hiring graduates at a time when it was not fashionable to do so in the media. In his memoir: “Walking a tight rope: Power play in Daily Times”, the doyen of modern Nigerian journalism, said: ‘When we found that almost everyone with a good grade in Higher School Certificate or Advanced Level gained admission into universities and only the poor ones were available to us, we decided to go higher to recruit graduates for training. Some of my colleagues had scepticism and reservations about the recruitment of graduates. In one or two multinational companies that recruited graduates, the complaint was that they were arrogant and unwilling to learn.

    My vision was that a company publishing newspapers, magazines and books for varying interest groups would need these higher educated journalists. At the same time, I recognised that there would be others without university education who had developed themselves intellectually and who would make good… What fate did not permit me time to accomplish was the orientation of graduates to be reporters with special disciplines to report events, to interview knowledgeable people in their own special fields. Reporters are the link between the press and the public. They should speak the language of the people they are interviewing – lawyers, economists, scientists, company executives, and permanent secretaries. Most of those we trained wanted to be feature writers, not reporters and sub-editors’.

    Ugochukwu’s sojourn in the Business Times was the beginning of his age-long romance with the media, which saw him also editing the London-based West Africa magazine, then in the Daily Times stable, and subsequently the flagship Daily Times title itself. Like all the publications Jose started in the Daily Times, he also had reasons for founding the Business Times. Ugochukwu came straight from the CBN to become the paper’s deputy editor. His predecessor, the pioneer editor, Effiong Essien, was also from the CBN. According to Jose, the 1974 indigenisation exercise informed the starting of the business paper.

    He said: ‘Then in 1974 when we had the first indigenisation exercise and people were buying shares and I found that more and more Nigerians were showing interest in business ownership, shareholding and other financial matters, I convinced my colleagues of the need to sustain the new interest with a publication. Thus, the Business Times was started to provide information about things like stocks and shares, market situation, etc. In fact, that was the only publication started during my time for which we had to look outside the Daily Times for an editor. Because of the economics background required for that post, I asked my friends at the Central Bank to identify some of their bright young men who could be successfully trained in journalism within the shortest possible period to become editor of the paper. That was how we recruited Effiong Essien, a former staff of CBN’s Research Department as editor of Business Times. He was succeeded by another Central Bank man Onyema Ugochukwu…’

    Since a goldfish has no hiding place, it was not long before the potential of Ugochukwu became manifest in his work. He edited Business Times between 1977 and 1982. In 1983, he was named the editor of West Africa magazine and he relocated to London to take up the post. West Africa is not a business magazine. It is a general interest magazine which covered every subject in journalism, such as politics, foreign affairs, aviation, agriculture, business and economy, sports and other matters of public interest. Ugochukwu had crossed over from a specialised publication that focused mainly on business matters to one encompassing all topics under the journalism firmament. He proved his mettle. Not too long after, he returned to Lagos to edit the flagship of the stable – Daily Times.

    ‘Chief’ as we his reporters used to call him behind his back was the editor when people of my own generation joined the Daily Times. Most of us came in around 1991 and 1992 to join others who mustered the courage and took the plunge before us, despite the scary tales we had been told of working with ‘old men’ that would not allow youngsters to grow under their wings. These all turned out to be tales by the moonlight. The Daily Times newsroom was like any other newsroom peopled by the old and young. The Daily Times’ set up was a bit different because it was older in terms of age, as it came before many other papers that were in the market with it then. The closest papers in age to it then were the Nigerian Tribune, New Nigerian, Daily Sketch, Nigerian Standard, Tide, The Observer and many other state-owned newspapers that were a must-read then too. So, having a large number of old men working in the Daily Times was not of those people’s making, it was because of the paper’s stability and viability, which it lost in subsequent years and many of the workers fled in different directions in search of greener pastures.

    The Daily Times of the Ugochukwu years was one of super-abundance. It was the era that the Daily Times dictated the pace and others followed. Ugochukwu is a man of intimidating presence. Tall and well built, his physique does not hinder his movement. He carries himself well, moving with agility as he saunters into the newsroom and turns swiftly to the right to enter his office. The newsroom knew whenever the editor was around as every activity gravitated towards his office. With the daily editorial conference that holds there, the line editors start filing into the place for the meeting as soon as the editor arrives. Before the meeting, one or two persons would have been summoned over the handling of some pages and stories and reprimanded, if need be.

    Ugochukwu held sway over the newsroom. He takes a look at a page and orders that it should be replanned. Or he reads a story and calls for the reporter. ‘Who wrote this?’ He barks at you when you stand before him. Without waiting for your response, he asks: “what do you mean by pro-democracy activists?” “Who is an anti-democracy activist?” “What does this person do?” “Does he not have a job?” “Use that to describe him”. With that, he dismisses you from his presence. Ugochukwu rose to become a member of the board of Daily Times. He was executive director for manpower development. After leaving the Daily Times, he veered into politics.

    Ugochukwu was tapped to manage the image of Obasanjo, who was drafted into the presidential race in 1998, shortly after his release from prison. Ugochukwu worked assiduously for the election of Obasanjo, who was a hard sell to the people of the Southwest that did not forgive him for his seeming passivity over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which his kinsman, the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola won. Obasanjo made Ugochukwu senior special assistant for public affairs and national orientation on becoming the president in 1999. A year later, Ugochukwu became the pioneer chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). He left the position to contest for the governorship of his home state of Abia.

    As Ugochukwu joins the Octogenarian Club, his people and those of us that he took under his tutelage in the Daily Times celebrate a thorough-bred professional, who treated all fairly no matter where they come from. His kinsmen held a ceremony for him in Abuja on Sunday, under the aegis of Ohuhu Welfare Association. His virtues were extolled by speakers on the occasion. Oga deserves all the accolades and more. At 80, Ugochukwu has come a long way. He has weathered many storms and is still standing. That young man who survived the civil war can only look back today and give thanks for a life full of accomplishments. Happy birthday, sir.

  • My unforgettable battle with traditionalists in Ota, by cleric

    My unforgettable battle with traditionalists in Ota, by cleric

    • How I survived 30years in ministry without scandal

    Bishop Taiwo Akinola left a flourishing lecturing career more than three decades ago to found the Rhema Christian Church & Tower Int’l, Ota, Ogun State. The church, which began in an uncompleted building, has become a thriving cathedral with many branches within and outside the shores of the country. On the eve of the church’s 2024 annual convention, he spoke with SUNDAY OGUNTOLA on the early days and his elevation to the position of Archbishop, among other issues. Excerpts:

    Did you imagine getting this far in Christendom when you became a born-again Christian on April 4, 1977?

    Well, I think the essential focus then was Heaven. I wanted to please God in all ramifications. Becoming anything in life was not the focus, and those who are born again then knew that we were always heaven-minded. But we also know that the power of God has a comprehensive impact on our total being. So it was not part of our focus, but we give thanks to God for His doing.

    I ask the question deliberately because of new-age believers. So it was never about what you wanted to become but about pleasing the Lord?

    That is the truth. Some of us who were born again felt that Jesus should come just the next day so that we would go to Heaven. It was all to His glory and wanting to please Him so that we would be able to meet Him on His throne in Heaven. That was also the reason why we were sold out for everything.

    Soul winning was the task that everybody was actually involved in. And we give our thanks to God.

    Forty-seven years after, what has kept you going? What has kept you running back to God over the years?

    You asked two questions. What has kept me going is the grace of God. I would say the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It is grace. We are kept by the power of God. Grace is the secret power of God inbuilt to man.

    You asked the second question: what makes me keep going back to God? It is this unfailing love. Every time I remember the love that God has for us, the fact that He died, a death He didn’t deserve, one cannot but go to Him. And, of course, human beings generally are frail. I wish the entire world does know this. Whether one is head of state or tail of state, we all need God because He is the only one that can sustain whatever we have.

    Now, receiving something is good but maintaining, retaining and in particular keeping the same and making it useful, only God Almighty can keep our lives. So I know that we are tied to Him by the strength of life and of love. So we must keep on going to Him.

    A lot of people felt that you were going to waste away when you left lecturing as an electrical engineer some years ago. You were there for 14 years. Can you look back at your years in those institutions where you lectured?

    Well, like I said, the urgent thing was the will of God. I know then some people actually pitied me. Like when I left the Polytechnic in Ilaro, the registrar particularly called my in-law, who was a Director there then, and said I hope your in-law doesn’t have a problem upstairs? Because they didn’t know what was driving us, they felt we were leaving reality for uncertainty.

    But we wouldn’t blame them because, you see, what we call revelation is not just a physical revelation; it is an insight that one has, inside light and illumination from above. And when God picks a man to use, he cannot do otherwise.

    How was life as a lecturer in those years?

    Well, really, I was a very young man, so to say. So we gave thanks to God and again, we were able to start lives. I had been born again then. So to the glory of God, the Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro, Christian Union there, I was very pivotal to starting that fellowship. So, apart from teaching, I also always saw the moment to touch lives of young people because I know that the young people that are touched today become leaders tomorrow. And I’m happy that quite a number of them have become commodities or entities in God’s kingdom today. Some of them are pastors, some are apostles, and so on.

    Ota is one of the places that people don’t like to come to, more so start a church. How was it like when you came over here to start a church?

    Well, you struck a very, very heavy and interesting note, because way back then, Ota had not been exposed to light. I’m not talking about physical light but true light as it is today. And I remember some of us from ‘Ilu Oke’ they used to have a saying: it’s as hard or as wicked as the witch in Ota.

    I remember then my mother tried to dissuade me from coming. But I told her that I was coming here because of the heavenly vision. And I showed her that the God that gave us the church would certainly keep us. So, way back then, spiritually, it was tough. There were battles but God always gave us the victory.

    Not only that, when one is starting ministry, it’s not always that easy. Like we said, you are leaving some measure of certainty. You are leaving certainty for uncertainty. Now we needed to trust God for everything, for our food, for our clothing and so on and so forth. It’s just like you give birth to a baby, the baby has to be nurtured. There were teething problems, so to say. But we give thanks to God. Those are now part of our glowing past testimonies.

    I remember very vividly there was a time in the place where we began the church. It was an uncompleted building; a stark uncompleted building. We were doing a midweek service and along the line, some people, I think they were traditionalists, came and were giving us a message to switch off our light and march out and all of that. So that evening, there was a spiritual contest because they were bringing some of their voodoo materials, something that looked like powder. The one that I could see, I remember vividly, was the head of a goat. They were putting it down, and then my people also, as they were rendering their incantations my people were speaking in tongues and so on.

    Now, I must say to you, Jesus prevailed. Jesus prevailed, because the people just scattered, and as they scattered, all the people who had watched the contest came into the church. It was the first largest unplanned and unprepared folk we’ve seen in our life, because people came, I mean, from the workers in Coca-Cola, they were waiting to see how that challenge would end, and it ended very, very well. That paints a picture of what this town then was.

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    But this town has become, you know, elitist in a way with many industries and so on and so forth. Even the Sango that we now have today, where we have the flyover, was not like that then. It was like a deserted place. So we give thanks to God that He has kept us to see this day.

    What made you stay back despite those drawbacks?

    Like I said a short while ago, it is the heavenly vision. Just like Paul says, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. We were not thinking, oh, a time will come when we will have N100,000 extra or something like that. It was not about money, not about what one would gain, not about anything pecuniary but rather about, say, this is where God sent me; this is where He said it would spread around the world.

    Let me give you another typical example. Early, I think in the year 2000, I was privileged to travel to the US and I was ministering in some places and some of them now felt I should stay with them and I shouldn’t come back to Nigeria. Now, it’s the same heavenly vision that didn’t allow me to stay. They gave me a lot of what I would call a lot of encouragement, a lot of inducements, gave me a place to stay, opened an account for me, and so on and so forth. But I felt that if I did that, I would be lost. Even if I had luxury, I would be disobedient to God. So, that, I think, should answer the question.

    What can people find in this church that may be difficult to find elsewhere?

    We believe Jesus Christ is love. We believe he died for us, and so on and so forth. But we have some specific culture. We have a culture of love. We love one another. The Bible says by this shall all men know that you are my disciples. So, over the years we have said this is a church where nobody is allowed to suffer or permitted to fail.

    I have not been privileged to go around churches, but in the Rhema Christian Church, we love each other. In the Rhema Christian Church, we truly respect persons. We don’t see people as names on paper. We see them as an entity that Jesus Christ died for. And then, most importantly, this is Rhema, where everybody is somebody. So, we preach the word of God to ensure that nobody becomes somebody.

    After over 47 years of walking with God and 30 years of being a church leader, how have you managed to stay away from scandals?

    I always give it to God again. One must never miss that. No man can have anything except it is given to him from above. So, it is the grace of God. But having said that, we also don’t intentionally frustrate the grace of God. You know Paul said I do not frustrate the grace of God. Now, one of the ways people can frustrate grace that can lead to scandal is when you break boundaries. The Bible says when you break an edge, the serpent will bite. I don’t do something that can put me in trouble.

    Like what?

    I’m a man now. If a lady comes and say we just like you, we just love you, you will see me pressing a bell for you to come.  I also have some rules in this church. Except leaders who are known and trusted, I don’t just welcome a lady, unknown visitor in this office.

    You know. It’s not just now, even over there, which are fundamental lessons that I learned. And also, I also don’t frustrate the grace of God because I don’t do more than myself. Whatever God gives, I’m satisfied with it. And nobody in this church will say that I ever look at maybe their money and say, how about… So I walk within the size of God’s grace in my life per time and I do not envy anybody.

    Having said that, it is the grace of God. Take it from me. I also don’t frustrate the grace by, you know, yielding to carnal propensities.

    In a few days, you’re going to become an Archbishop. What influenced that decision?

    You see, that is a very, very long story. To start with, let it be known that I became a Bishop 24 years ago. The lead Presbyters then were Bishop David Oyedepo and then Archbishop Obembe of blessed memory. Bishop Obembe was leading the fellowship, the communion that came to make me bishop. But about nine years ago, he came for a convention and he just seized the moment as our leader. He said I’m Archbishop-designate. You know, it was shocking to me.

    That was nine years ago. It was at the Convention of nine years ago. So I came to the office and I begged him that he should not let us go on that route; that I was not convinced. So it is a very long route, put it like that. But before he passed on to glory, he made that demand on me about twice, but I politely begged him that he should please let the fight because I wanted to walk. Because I believe that title is different than tasks. We’re also not called for titles but for certain tasks.

    Anyway, when he passed on, my other colleagues in the college, the ICAM, felt that we needed a clear leader.  I was the most senior among them. So they said they needed a clear leader. Long story short, they wrote me a letter after deliberations and they said I should become the Archbishop. After consultations as well as consulting with leaders in the body of Christ, particularly Pentecostal leaders, I became convinced.

    It’s the same something. So it’s just like you have teachers and you have head teacher. That’s the way it is. So with that conviction, I saw it as just a leadership role among the leaders in the body of Christ. So I therefore said, Lord, thank you for committing this to my hand. So I chose to accept it. So that is how it goes. And then my people decided that we should wrap it up with this convention. And that’s why on November 10, we shall, by the grace of God, be invested with the authority of an Archbishop.

    So what will change when you become an Archbishop?

    Something must change. So it’s an anointing for the next level. But it also will, I believe, reinvigorate that which God has called us for by way of bringing salvation to the doorsteps of the hearts of people, healings and deliverance. So I trust God for that.

    But you remain the same?

    I remain Taiwo. My devotion to God must increase, my way of seeing men will change. I will still continue to understand that. I will still be eating my normal meal, for example.

    Is there a way out of the current economic distress for Nigerians?

    Well the way out is to trust God. When we look up, we become lifted. They looked up unto Him and they were lightened and their faces were not ashamed. Yes, thank God we have leaders in this country and Nigeria is not in chaos. But our leaders are not God, they are men, they are prone to mistakes. These human beings who are leading us are men, they also have their faults, which go ahead to have consequences on us. That’s how the world is. It is not only in Nigeria.

    But let me also say that pressures could be good. We should also work harder, work smarter on the backdrop of trusting God, and things will be different. For example, I also discovered that when there is too much, there can be mistakes. Some people, it is when the money comes that they marry second or third wives. So I would say as we trust God and work harder, we also must be disciplined as a nation.

  • Kunle Buraimoh: How my artistic background shaped my life

    Kunle Buraimoh: How my artistic background shaped my life

    Kunle Buraimoh, the son of the first African bead painter, Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, is a tech expert and teacher. He is a lecturer in the Computer Science Department of Houston Community College, Houston, United States of America. Like his other family members, he is also an artist, a great experimental visual artist and one of the leading lights of the Osogbo Arts School. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, he speaks about his passion for education, the need for more investment in education by the government, the nature of the tech industry and other sundry matters. Excerpts.

    As a person born into an artistic and cultural environment, what was growing up like in Osogbo then?

    I was born into the family of Chief Jimoh Buraimoh and Alake Buraimoh of Alagbaa Compound in Osogbo, Osun State. I attended St. Francis Primary School, Osogbo, Osun State, before I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University Staff School, Ile-Ife, Osun State and later Moremi High School, Ile-Ife, Osun State which is a public school run by the state government. It was established by the university in 1978 but was taken over by the Chief Bola Ige administration under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). I must confess that I gained tremendously by attending the school because it shaped me to become who I am today. In my formative years, Osogbo was a vibrant city where everybody seemed to know and cooperate. But now, what we have is more of bickering and rancour which is making it somehow difficult to get things done and achieve much more in terms of development.

    How much impact has that artistic cum cultural environment had on your life?

    I think coming from an artistic and cultural home has helped to shape my critical thinking ability. One needs to have in-depth knowledge to visualize when mixing various colours for anyone to appreciate the work of art. It is important to be able to see the final product even before it is completed. The same principle also helps me as a software developer to think deeply about what might be the requirements the users are missing in order  to come up with a robust software solution for the end users. In addition to enhancing my critical thinking, I will say it improved my creative ability when working on tasks to provide comprehensive solutions to any given problem. In the world of art, creativity is essential to bring out all the abstracts and details in any artistic work.

    With the benefit of insight, let us examine what public education looked like in those days and what obtains now to have warranted your concern to lend a helping hand to sustain the system.

    I could recollect that when I was in Form One in 1982, on my first day at school, we were given free notebooks, textbooks, pens, pencils and a locker with a chair. They did not request a kobo from our parents, everything was free. I think that experience had a profound effect on me and made me believe in myself that with the provisions made by the government then, the sky was the limit for me to get a good education.

    Would you say that the current state of our public schools motivated you to set up the Kunle Buraimoh Foundation to assist in keeping the system above the water?

    In a way, I would answer in the affirmative. What we have today, is a direct contrast to what we had in the past. The schools are so horrible now that they are not in any way conducive to learning. For a child to learn in school, a conducive environment is so key in the mix. Aside from the stationery and books, a school without functional toilets could be a serious distraction to the students. For example, I read something that the Bill Gates Foundation constructed toilets and distributed school materials when it discovered how important toilets are and how their availability could negatively impact learning outcomes.

    In essence, our intervention at the Kunle Buraimoh Foundation was based on some of these findings. We also distributed basic needs that would assist the students to learn without tears i.e. school bags, writing materials and notebooks. The feedback we are getting from the managers of those public schools indicated that our little intervention has significantly helped in increasing school enrollment. It is also instructive that those in need of assistance are on the increase.

    At Olutimehin Grammar School, Osogbo which is one of the schools where we assisted the students, we discovered that 40 percent of the students were unable to pay the fees for the State Junior Secondary School examination which would ensure they progress to the Senior Secondary School level. We were determined to see that no student is left behind on account of inability to pay for the examination, so we paid on behalf of 100 students.

    Were you that concerned because you are an educationist?

    There is no doubt about the fact that I am passionate about education. I left Nigeria to study abroad at age 22. I had my children there and they have access to qualitative education provided by the government at almost zero cost. I am deeply worried that the standard of education here has risen to an unacceptable level, the government should partner with NGOs like ours to encourage them that the stay is the limit for them. I don’t believe in giving items like rice or sharing money. I have a friend who told me that when he was in Nigeria, the major focus of his parents was getting him a good education. And today, he is doing well as a pharmacist. The U.S. concentrates on education that is qualitative and trains the kids to become leaders tomorrow.

    Take a look at what is going on in Silicon Valley. It is technology that is giving America the edge in the world today. There is no way we can compete globally without giving our kids qualitative education.

    Whenever I look at the Nigerian situation, I always feel bad and sad because we have the potential to be a global leader since we have the brains to achieve the feat here. In the United States, Artificial Intelligence started in the 50s. But over time, they discovered that it could do more than they ever thought. And they were able to do so through research. The government and the private sector should partner and make our universities the springboard to transform society through innovation driven by well-funded research for the betterment of our people and humanity.

    For example, about 15 years ago, there was a robot that could perform surgery with the support of a doctor. Today, what a human being cannot do, Artificial Intelligence can do it. In Nigeria, we are lagging because there is no infrastructural support. No doubt, building infrastructure and developing research projects are very expensive, but the government must invest in that critical area because it is the bedrock of the future. With Artificial Intelligence, you can determine if somebody has cancer and even know the stage of progression of the cancer. It could also suggest a prognosis for the patient.

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    For instance, I gave a lecture recently at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where I discussed the potential of AI. It was a very remarkable experience to be able to share knowledge with the students. Although there is a pervasive fear about AI getting people out of jobs, my position on that is that in the technology-driven world that we live in, you must continuously learn new things and improve your capacity. A lot of those who get laid off in the tech industry are people who stopped at the level of certification.

    But the challenges confronting us today demand more knowledge and expertise in our fields. These days they consider how much you have improved on the ladder. In the U.S., you must constantly come up with initiatives geared toward solving problems. So at that level, you have to be more than a certification person. If you have a problem at hand that needs a solution, then questions like, “Are you a team player?” Are you a good communicator? “Are you innovative?” and so on, are meant to weigh you on the intellectual scale.

    Why is your foundation also supporting the arts?

    When we started the Kunle Buraimoh Foundation, my mentor Chief (Mrs) Ponnle listed the names of a lot of people who have contributed significantly to development in all spheres of life around here. So I discussed with members of the Board of Trustees of the foundation the need to look at the fine arts and dramatic arts to recognize those who have put Osogbo on the world map. Some of them are Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, Alhaji Kareem Adepoju, Chief Yemi Elebuibon etc. We, eventually, selected eight such people for an award. We also give special recognition to Duro Ladipo for his pioneering works and efforts in theatre and the Osun Arts School. The other reason behind our support for the arts is to use these pioneers and achievers as an inspiration to the upcoming generation and to fire their zeal to also achieve greatness in that area. We hope that by next year, we are going to pick people who have done tremendously well in education in Osogbo. Also, we would soon embark on a mentorship programme to assist students in career guidance because we have discovered that a lot of the students studied courses with very low prospects in terms of building a career. If they are properly guided, they can move into professions with high value and prospects that will enable them to earn better and be able to take care of themselves well and support their families.

    What should we begin to do differently now, if we are to compete favourably in technology in the nearest future since we have the potential?

    We need a total overhaul of our education system so that it can deliver a functional education that will be in tune with our needs as a nation to our children. For instance, in the U.S. a child is expected to be able to read before he or she gets to Primary 2. They measure their reading ability at the end of every semester (Fall and Spring). They ensure that they can read very well at all levels and they sustain it until the kids leave elementary school.

    I believe we can do that here too, if we are determined to do so. Hopefully, by doing that, the government could decide on why a particular set of people cannot read, so that they put them in a particular class to assist them to catch up. In the U.S, it is the School Districts that determine who to employ and not the state or local councils. They have an Education Board that is fully in charge of education and they organize weekly or monthly public hearings where people can go to discuss issues pertaining to the education of their children. The state government does not do much, the bulk of the work is done at the local council level. There is no room for politicians to interfere or influence the appointment of teachers and other staff. We need to put in place a structure that ensures that only competent and well-trained teachers are employed in public schools to give our children the solid background they need to navigate the world.

    We must move away completely from politicizing the employment of teachers whereby the politicians draw the list of those who are to be employed irrespective of whether they have the prerequisite qualifications and competence or not. It is dangerous for the future of the nation. It is compulsory that a teacher must have a first degree in the U.S. before being given a teaching job and must follow up by acquiring teaching competence through training. Also, the learning environment is so vital to the success of the students. As a lecturer in the Computer Science Department of Houston Community College, all the computer laboratories are fully equipped with all the software needed by the students. So the students just come in and learn without any stress. The government at Federal and state levels here need to find ways to equip our schools with the basics. For example, our schools lack well-stocked libraries. The physical and e-library is very essential because that is where the student will go to read and do their research at whatever level they are.

    Going forward, what would be the future plans of the K.B Foundation?

    The goal of the K.B Foundation is to continue to expand. We want the expansion to make us a model for others who plan to do things we are presently doing. We are already operating outside Osogbo with our outreach extended to Ifon. Also, we look forward to collaborating with others that share our vision. If we have bigger resources, we intend to spread the gospel to other areas of the state. We have to sustain the hope of our children that they, too, could be all they could be and reach for the moon irrespective of the status of their parents. It is important for the survival of our society that we give those indigent students a life and the wings to fly on.

    How would you like stakeholders in the public education sector to see your intervention programmes?

    It is of utmost importance that they see our little contributions as a means to solve problems by lending a helping hand. They should put in more effort and start thinking big. If we do that collectively, we can achieve greater heights.

    I gave a testimony about myself that I was not strong academically when I was a student here in Nigeria. But when I got to the U.S., I discovered that the real problem was that I had a learning disability. So I have to work hard on myself to achieve all that I have done today. I have four Masters degrees. So the thing is don’t ever give up on yourself because you can do it. I will also implore parents, teachers and other stakeholders to continue to encourage the children. There is no kid that is “Olodo” as we used to label them here. What we have to do is to create an enabling environment where each child could tap into his endowment through good education and come out as the best. There is research that says that an adult brain is not fully developed until the age of 26 to 27 years. The children we refer to as “Olodo” are actually suffering from learning disabilities that could be corrected to bring them to optimal performance in their studies.

    For instance, I had a deaf student that I would have had problems communicating with as a computer science lecturer. However, the American system engaged two translators for the student to ensure there is no hindrance in his quest to acquire an education. The government supported the students so that nobody got left behind in the scheme of things. There is no justifiable reason why we should not educate our children; they are our future.

    The future of the country is very bright if we prioritize giving our children quality education that enables them to compete favourably in an ever-changing global environment. Suppose it is convenient for our political leaders to send their children abroad to acquire education. In that case, enlightened self-interest demands that they give an equal commitment to providing the right environment for all Nigerian kids to access education so that they can give them a future and guarantee the progress and development of the country.

    I subscribe to the notion that the level of progress we would achieve as a nation cannot be faster than our progress in the education sector. The key determinant in how the future of any country would look is reflected in the quantum of investment such a country is making in the education of its citizenry.

  • From frying pan to fire: Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria relive horrific experience

    From frying pan to fire: Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria relive horrific experience

    •Refugees battered, banished from settlement
    •How CID officials used ATM to withdraw N250,000 from my account —Victim
    •Refugee Commission confirms banishment, SEMA dismisses allegations

    Cameroonian refugees who fled their war-torn area to seek refuge in Ogoja area of Cross River State are engaged in another battle with their host communities. At various times, the refugees have been physically attacked, harassed and detained by the authorities. To worsen matters, three of them, without the order of a court, were recently banished from a host community after a meeting attended by the National Commission for Refugees and the UNHCR. The ugly development raises questions about Nigeria’s commitment to the 1951 Convention which outlines the rights of refugees, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    Takang Clinton, a businessman, fled Cameroon after witnessing the mindless killing of people in the war ravaging his part of the Central African country. He arrived in Nigeria in the hope of enjoying a fresh air of peace.

    Of course, he did enjoy a fresh breath of air at the initial stage, making friends and socialising with his Nigerian counterparts. But the air soon became polluted, making Nigeria not too different from the toxin he fled from in Cameroon.

    Clinton told our correspondent that the crisis began on February 11, 2023, during the African Cup of Nations’ finals.

    His words: “It was very, very surprising because we as refugees had been integrating and watching football matches with the host community’s boys for about six years. We did engage in arguments about football without having issues.

    “And even more interesting is that we as oppressed English-speaking Cameroonians have lost the love for anything about Cameroon. So, when Cameroon is playing against any country, we support that country.

    “In fact, when Cameroon was playing Nigeria, even in the same tournament, we supported Nigeria.”

    On the day of the finals when Nigeria scored and everybody was jubilating, Clinton, who goes by the nickname Morlan, said “a night watchman who works with Save the Children, one of the partners with the UN, was right behind me. He said, Morlan, do you know while in another man’s country, you don’t have the right to jubilate over a goal in football? It was funny to me.

    “I turned and I told him my brother, is it not just football we are watching? That was all I told him. Another guy who was with him asked why I should answer their elder like that? Then I told him that these people playing football, we don’t even know them. Whether Nigeria wins or they don’t win, we are not even related to these people.

    “The next minute, I heard people shouting. But before I could turn, there was an attack on me with a bottle. I waved off the first person and another one came towards me. He took a bottle and broke it on his own head to prove he was strong.  When he hit the bottle on his head, his head broke and blood started coming out and he was holding the other half bottle in his hand.

    “I came forward and said my brother, what is happening? Why did you hit your head with a bottle and standing here like this? He started shivering, vowing that he would do something.”

    Along the line, Clinton said, he saw a staff member of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who doubles as one of the traditional rulers making calls. “As soon as he was done, it did not take the next three minutes before a group of guys invaded the settlement.

    “It means these guys were already somewhere around the corner waiting for the incident.

    “As soon as I saw them entering the settlement with bottles, cutlasses and small axes, I ran and entered the store where we were watching football.

    “I could see them through the window. All I was hearing was where is  Morlan? He is causing a lot of problems to our people. Where is that Morlan?

    “When I saw that it was becoming more intense, I switched off the lights and  ran. They burned down some stores and destroyed properties. But I was not there because I ran and I called the DPO and told him this was happening in the settlement.”

    Clinton continues: “I slept outside the settlement with another friend. But surprisingly that night, a group of SEMA staff led by George Mbembe, who was then a supervisor, was moving from one hotel to another hotel looking for us. They said it was time to fight, that refugees should  come and fight.

    “Fortunately, they did not get us.”

    The next day, Clinton and his colleague went back to the settlement. “They called a meeting, inviting the UN and other partners,” he said.

    “Upon reaching the village, they wrote a purported banishment letter that was not signed or dated and was not on a letterhead. They said I and two others, Abane and Angelbert, had been banished. They gave us 24 hours to leave their community else they would attack the refugees.

    “We later had a meeting with the UN. The UN said that for the sake of peace and to avoid the unforeseen, because the threat was too much, we should just leave for the mean time so they could see how to resolve the issue.

    “That was how we left. We stayed away for about two months.

    “On the 14th of May 2023, I came to Ogoja because I wanted to have a small meeting with the UN. The purported banishment letter said that we were banished from the Adagom community. So I did not go there. I stopped at the Ogoja junction.

    “After the meeting with the UN, I was with the settlement’s chairlady, the secretary and one other friend. Suddenly, some guys surrounded us. They attacked me with bottles and sticks. I was severely beaten and abandoned.”

    Clinton alleged that the people who attacked him were mostly SEMA workers. “They work with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Cross River State. These were the same people who destroyed the SEMA government building in the refugee settlements.”

    Clinton, however, said his banishment did not come as a surprise because “the programme manager of SEMA, Mr Hilary Agida, has been threatening to remove me from the settlement at all costs. He sent SEMA staff to tell me that he was going to relocate me.

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    “He even invited the village chiefs on one occasion to come and intimidate refugees, to make them know that they have the right to banish anybody whenever they want, because we are strangers.”

    UNHCR reneges on agreement

    After the mob attack that landed him in a hospital, Clinton said the UN paid his hospital bills. “From the day that I was banished, they told us that we should leave the community for the meantime. They assured us that we should choose wherever we thought was safe for us for the meantime and stay there; that they would take care of our upkeep and everything. That was the arrangement.

    “I stayed in Lagos when I left Cross River. I stayed in Lagos for about a month or so in a hotel and they were aware of it because I was updating them.

    “Up until this moment that I am speaking, nobody has cared about where we sleep, how we feed or what has become of us. We have been rendered internally displaced refugees in Nigeria.

    “We are law-abiding refugees in Nigeria. We deserve the protection of the federal government. We deserve the protection of the National Refugee Commission and that of the UN.

    “If all these bodies cannot protect us, let them resettle us to a third country. Nobody has heard our cry. What refugees are going through in Ogoja is not seen in any part of the world.”

    Wearing a frustrated look, Clinton said:  “Inasmuch as we appreciate the federal government for everything, we appreciate the government of Cross River, we appreciate the Adagom people for their hospitality.

    “Some individuals and some others who are in offices are making things too hard for refugees.  They are taking advantage of their offices.

    “SEMA officials are dating refugee girls. They are taking advantage of their vulnerability, and this is not in the SOP, the code of conduct that binds all the partners.

    “SEMA operates with impunity. They don’t care about anything.”

     ‘CID officials withdrew N250,000 from my account’

    Clinton recalled how before his banishment officials of the state CID used his ATM card to withdraw N250,000 from his bank account.

    He said: “I was bundled and handed over to the state CID in Calabar that I was dealing in arms. I reached the CID office at 3 am. I had never been to Calabar before then.

    “When the UN lawyer came to see me, the CID said no, I didn’t commit any crime, that they didn’t even know me.

    “The next time, they brought another story that I had a group fighting down in Cameroon, and that I had organised and buried someone alive in Cameroon. That also did not fly because even the lawyer told them that they lacked jurisdiction on that and that there was no evidence regarding it.

    “I have been here in Nigeria for six years and have never gone to Cameroon. They said I didn’t have any problem still I was kept there in the cell for two months.

    “I was frustrated, and they started giving me conditions. I felt abandoned. They took my ATM card and I gave them my password. They withdrew N250,000 on the opposite side of the state CID. I was released thereafter and I came back to Ogoja.”

    Clinton lamented, saying “I have lost everything, including a poultry farm and a fish pond. I have a workshop in the settlement where I do mentorship, employment and training for hairdressing, tailoring, shoe making, and other small things for refugees. I have lost everything.

    “As I am standing here, I am only dressed as a man, I have nothing again. I am hiding. I am living by the grace of my brothers and friends. That is the truth, and that is what all of us are passing through.

     Abane corroborates Clinton’s claims

    One of the banished refugees, Abane Tikor, corroborated Clinton’s claims as he recalled how he was also stabbed by a mob suspected to have been led by SEMA officials.

    He said: “I was stabbed in the hand by the people when they attacked Clinton. Later, they brought a letter that we had been banished. Angelbert who was in Abuja for his personal business was also banished.

    “We subsequently went to SEMA office for a meeting and  were told not to enter with our phones. They were with their phones but didn’t want us to enter with ours.

    “I initially didn’t comply but Clinton prevailed on me to drop my phone. They said they could no longer protect us. Refugees Commission officials present supported them. We had to leave and became stranded.”

    Like Clinton, Abane also alleged that the UNHCR abandoned them after they were banished.

    He said: “UNHCR did not fulfill their promise to offset the bills we incurred after the banishment. I left my family behind in the settlement after my banishment and they went to threaten them. Because I could not afford losing a member of my family, I asked them to come and meet me in the slum I am living in.

    “I am in a single room with about 11 people.  My children need to go to school. Some people I did jobs for didn’t pay but I allowed it to go because I don’t want any problem again.”

    Abane regretted that “the people who ought to be protecting me are the ones bringing me problems. I have been detained in police cells not once. I have been beaten not once. They even broke my door, destroyed everything I had and confiscated my money.

    “I wrote a petition regarding this and the Refugee Commission and the UN were copied.”  

    Angelbert dumped in prison

    Narrating his ordeal, the third banished refugee, Angelbert Nde, told of how he was kept in prison for months by his opponents. He said his problem with the people was that he he was exposing their lapses. “Since then, they have been looking for a way to destroy me. I was sort of sent to prison.”

    Angelbert said before he was sent to prison, “I spent one week in the police station. Three lawyers came for my bail but they refused me bail. And they made sure that they pushed the matter to the end of year when the courts were going to go on recess so that I had to spend about two months in prison.

    “When eventually I was released on court bail, I fell sick and my people decided that I should move to Abuja for treatment.”

    With the benefit of hindsight, he said: “One day while in Abuja, I received a call from Mr. Jonathan of UNHCR telling me that I had been banished and that the UNHCR had taken judicial notice of the banishment, and they were therefore calling to tell me that they could not guarantee my security.

    “He said I had a day to send somebody who was trustworthy to come and move all my things to Abuja where I am.  I told him, sir, I am in a hotel, and I have one day to come back to Cross River in my base.  Secondly, I have a lot of stuff.

    “I am building projects there for refugees. I have tons of stuff. Should I pack all these tons of stuff to the Abuja hotel where I am now?  Is it even possible in a space-less hotel?  So he didn’t reply me, and since then I have been in the streets in Abuja till today.”

    Asked if it was the community that banished him, Angelbert replied: “Well, it was not the community that banished me. What happened is that there was an engineering of this staged banishment.  This staged banishment was a conspiracy of local administrative and security officers who are disturbed by our work because our work is exposing a lot of evil acts that are being perpetrated against the refugees.

     “And the face of this local administrative, judicial and security officer is Mr. Agida Hillary, who is the program manager of the State Emergency Management Agency, and Mr. Jonathan, who is a UNHCR officer.

    “When I left prison, I was informed that there was a plan on the way to eject me from the settlement through banishment.  I was informed.”

    Angelbert further said the plot to nail him was solidified by an allegation of a clash between the hosts and the refugees. “I make bold here to tell you that there was no clash  between the refugees and the host community. They staged this because they wanted to use this as an excuse to banish me.

     “But little did they know that I was out of Abuja. When my banishment letter was released, they were taken aback because they discovered that they were banishing a man for orchestrating a clash in the settlement when the said man was not even in the settlement and in the state as of the time of the clash.”

    Visibly worn out by his predicament, he said: “It’s not easy to just eject somebody from his source of livelihood. Three of us were banished.  So we were ejected from our source of livelihood.

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    “And where I am now, I cannot survive because of that. I have been cut off from my source of livelihood, cut off from my family, cut off from my friends.  And I’m in the streets.”

     Refugees Commission confirms banishment

    The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, in a chat with our correspondent, confirmed the banishment of the refugees.

    The Director of Refugees Department, Mudakai Titus,  said:  “I am aware of this allegation. It is an allegation. I am talking to you from Abuja headquarters. We have our field officer in Ogoja.  He reported what happened to the headquarters.

    “The report we got was that  during the last AFCON finals between  Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, the refugees were praying that Cote d’Ivoire would win the match.

    “In the process, according to the story, some Nigerians who were there were not happy. They said how can you be saying this? In our presence you are making all this noise.

    “As a result, there was an altercation and something like a fight. The authorities intervened and stopped them.

    “Some individuals were found to be behind the altercation.  These individuals, I think, are these three people.  According to information, they are seen to always make insinuations among refugees and host communities in that area.

    “They reported them to the local community which called representatives of our office, SEMA. I am sure they called UNHCR to a meeting.

    “During the meeting we were informed the authorities said that because of the character of the three people in the community, they would not like them to continue to stay among them.”

    For that reason, Titus said, “the officials who attended the meeting called these people and advised them. They told them that in their own interest, they should stay off  so that peace would reign.

    “We were told that when this happened, they left.

    “Thereafter, we got a complaint letter from the concerned refugees.

    “Before then, we called our field office to ask them to look into the issue, because we wouldn’t want any loss of life or injury to anyone. We told them that whatever it was, they should put their heads together and resolve the matter amicably.

    “After a while, I was told that one of the concerned refugees came into the settlement and was attacked.  He was beaten and I am sure there were some injuries he sustained because I saw some pictures that were sent.”

    Again, Titus said he called his field officer and asked what was happening. “I sent the picture to him and asked if he knew anything about it.  I also called a youth in the community, Elvis by name, and sent the picture to him, asking that he should look into the matter because the matter was going beyond level. 

    “I said they should involve the police and all the relevant authorities. I called on the DG of SEMA but he was not available. I still called my staff to investigate the matter and to ensure that peace reigned and whoever was involved in this kind of inhuman treatment should be brought to book and made to face the law accordingly.”

    Titus said from then up till now, he had not “heard any further complaint until now that you are talking to me. I assumed that the matter had been resolved amicably.

    “Whether the officials have succeeded in getting the community to get the people you said were banished back or they are still out of the community, frankly speaking, it is something I am not aware of.”

    Refugees’ allegations full of lies – SEMA

    Reacting to the refugees’ claims, Cross River SEMA DG, Jame Anam, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said:  “It is all an allegation. It is false. For those that brought in cult groups and all of that in the settlement, we have officially reported to the UNHCR and their partners about the activities of most of the refugees.

    “Nobody is harassing them. They are just deceiving themselves. They want to raise some rumours that look as if they are having issues with the settlement or the government handlers. As far as I am concerned, their problem is not with SEMA.”

    He added that the SEMA staff, Hilary and George, “who I knew were having relationships with them have been suspended from work.

    “Before I became the DG of SEMA, they were having transactions together. When they have problems, they would resort to blaming one another.  That was the crux of the matter.”

    To set the records straight, the DG said, “we are about to set up an independent investigative panel. This will not be set up by SEMA to avoid bias.

    “The panel will let us know the real problem. There is a lot of falsehood peddled by the refugees. The problems they are causing are not in agreement with the promise they had made with the host community.

    “I have brought them to the commissioner of police with the other host community persons.  They know that most of these refugees are the ones causing problems, having cult groups, among other atrocities”.

    The DSS in response to our enquiry requested for additional information on the allegation made by one of the refugees.  The refugee, Clinton, told our correspondent that he was going to get details of the deduction from his bank. He was yet to get back to us as at the time of filing this report

     UNHCR yet to respond

    The UNHCR was yet to respond.

    Our calls to media officers’ contacts found on their website were not successful as they were said not to be available.

    Emails were also sent to the media officers using the addresses provided on the website. A non-media email found on the site was also copied.

    An automated response received from one of the media contacts reads:

    “Dear Sender, Thank you for your message. I am away from office – kindly contact Adeyemo@unhcr.org for assistance. Kind Regard, Edward Ogolla.”

    Adeyemo@unhcr.org was, however, yet to respond to our enquiry as at the time of filing this report.

  • BUBA MARWA’S DAUGHTER ZAINAB: Why I don’t fear for my father’s life as soldier, NDLEA boss

    BUBA MARWA’S DAUGHTER ZAINAB: Why I don’t fear for my father’s life as soldier, NDLEA boss

    Dr. Zainab Marwa-Abubakar, daughter of the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gen. Buba Marwa, and founder of Aspire Women Forum, a non-governmental organisation founded in 2019 with a mission to empower women to recognize their potential and contribute to Nigeria’s development, is an author, gender advocate, humanitarian, philanthropist and former Special Assistant to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). She spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about how her life was shaped by being brought up in a cross-cultural context, the kind of relationship she shares with her father, and other issues of personal and public interest.

    What was it like living in a military barracks and having a soldier as your father?

    Growing up as the daughter of a soldier was an incredibly enriching experience. Having a father who was a soldier instilled discipline and structure in our household. He had a regimented schedule, which meant we’d often eat lunch and dinner together. I always loved seeing him in his uniform. He was an officer and gentleman.

    As a proud daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of soldiers, I admired the army’s values of gallantry, sacrifice, and discipline. I enjoyed watching military parades and embracing the culture. Our frequent relocations allowed me to experience diverse cultures, attend schools in various countries and states, including the US and Nigeria, and forge lasting friendships with people from different backgrounds. Overall, being a soldier’s daughter broadened my perspective, fostered adaptability, and left me with fond memories and a deep appreciation for military service.

    Were there times you feared that something could happen to your father as a soldier, particularly when he was the military governor of Lagos State?

    Growing up, I was taught to trust in Allah’s divine protection, which instilled in me a sense of security and faith. This kind of upbringing helped me to overcome fear even when my father faced challenging situations, like surviving a motorcade bombing in Lagos State when I was 16 or 17. Instead of fear, I felt gratitude to God for safeguarding him. This unwavering faith has stayed with me, even now that my father chairs the NDLEA, an organisation that confronts dangerous individuals like drug barons. His leadership and my trust in Allah reassure me that he is protected. My upbringing has taught me to trust Allah, let go of fear, and embrace faith in His divine plan.

    How close were you to your mother and to what extent did she influence your life?

    I always say that my mother was my twin because we truly were the same person. We had the same character, mannerisms, passion, and burst of life. We were almost the same person, sharing the same name. To what extent did she influence my life? Well, is there any part of my life that she didn’t influence? She was the backbone of my existence, next to God. She shaped every decision I’ve ever taken, pushing me to excel academically and personally.

    She wanted me to reach the height of academics by getting a PhD, which unfortunately she didn’t live to see me achieve this year. We lost her on January 8, 2022, and the world has been somewhat bleak and dark ever since. Her influence has shaped the woman I am today, the mother I am to my children, and my relationship with humanity. She instilled in me a deep sense of compassion, shaping my perception of suffering and my response to helping others.

    She also profoundly impacted my relationship with God and my self-awareness, teaching me invaluable life lessons. She taught me that only you can make yourself happy, about the destructive nature of anger, and the importance of strength, boldness, and independence. She had the most profound influence on my life. I will miss her until my last breath, as she remains the queen of my heart and the best example of motherhood.

    What has being the daughter of General Marwa caused you?

    Being the daughter of General Marwa has made excellence my watchword. It has instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to protect the family name, which my father has worked tirelessly to establish. I’m blessed with this legacy but also mindful of the expectations that come with it. As General Marwa’s daughter, I’ve been raised to live a life of caution, careful not to overstep boundaries. I strive to work extremely hard, uphold my faith, and maintain unwavering integrity. I treat others with kindness and respect, adhering to the golden rule.

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    Being part of this family has taught me the importance of living a life of purpose, integrity, and compassion. It’s a privilege to carry the Marwa name, and I’m committed to upholding the high standards set by my father. In every sense, being General Marwa’s daughter has brought me nothing but blessings upon blessings. It has given me a strong sense of direction and a good head on my shoulders.

    What is that one thing that you will never forget about your mother?

    I believe I will remember every single thing about her. She died when I was 40 years old; a full-fledged adult. But the memories remain vivid. I remember her infectious laughter, her distinctive voice, and the way she called my name. Every little detail, every aspect of her is etched in my memory. Even her scent is still recognizable, triggering memories of her warm smile and joyful presence. Her love language – constant communication and unwavering displays of affection – remains a cherished legacy.

    There isn’t a single part of her that I’ll ever forget.

    She is imprinted on my heart and mind. Her memory stays with me daily, as if I still see her. The depth of my grief and the tears I shed are testaments to the love we shared. I feel blessed to have been loved, birthed and raised by her. I pray that God Almighty continues to rest her soul.

    How do you feel when you hear your father being criticised?

    Believe it or not, I have never really heard him being criticised – or maybe I have selective deafness. Any criticism that came his way would always give him the opportunity to reflect and improve himself. My father taught me about failure; that it’s okay to fail as long as you “fail up.” He said that as long as you try and keep trying, you can never truly fail.

    So, if he were criticised, I believe it would give me the opportunity to approach him, ask what happened, and learn from his experience. He’d show me how to handle criticism with grace and use it as a chance to grow. His attitude toward failure and criticism has instilled resilience in me, and for that, I’m grateful.

    You have managed to stay out of controversy. Tell me the secret.

    The secret is that I don’t live a very controversial life. I live a simple life, guided by the values instilled in me: servitude to God, family, hard work, and kindness. I prioritise my faith, personal growth, and raising my family. I was raised to cherish and protect my name, making good decisions and upholding integrity. I strive to be independent, yet mindful of my roots. I have no interest in negativity or living a lavish lifestyle; I’m focused on being the best version of myself.

    My upbringing has shaped me into a person who avoids controversy naturally. I don’t engage in social vices or seek to draw unnecessary attention. My goal is to live a life of purpose, humility and goodness.

    You vied for the House of Representatives in Abuja in 2019. What were the lessons you learnt in the process?

    Contesting the House of Representatives election in Abuja in 2019 was a transformative experience that taught me invaluable lessons. The main takeaway was realising the importance of integrity in politics and understanding what kind of politician I don’t want to be. During my journey, I saw how some individuals prioritised success over human lives, engaging in harmful activities like violence and fear-mongering. This made me realise I never want to be someone who values political success over human well-being or uses their position for personal gains.

    Instead, I want to remain committed to serving others and staying true to my values. I learned that I can push myself past boundaries that I never imagined possible. Notably, I was eight months pregnant with my fifth child on the day of the election, yet I still went to each ward during the campaign, standing for hours talking to people, visiting homes, and holding town hall meetings to share my manifesto. This experience showed me that I didn’t know my own strength and resilience. I discovered that I am stronger and more resilient than I ever thought possible.

    Moreover, I learned that all people really want is to be seen. They want someone to understand their plight and offer help as best as they can. I firmly believe that there is innate goodness in most people. Those lessons have profoundly shaped my perspective on politics and leadership, emphasising the importance of integrity, empathy and resilience.

    In what ways has General Marwa’s name opened doors for you?

    The Marwa name has opened doors for me in numerous ways. It precedes me, conveying a sense of purpose, passion and direction. People are willing to open doors because they associate my father’s legacy with integrity and excellence.

    Some individuals open doors due to my father’s past contributions to their lives, seeking to repay kindness by extending courtesy to me, his daughter. Others recognise his legacy and believe I embody those values, adhering to the principle that ‘a lion cannot give birth to a goat.’

    However, General Marwa’s name also opens doors within me. It fuels my self-belief, abilities and commitment to self-improvement. His legacy pushes me to excel, reimagining what’s possible and achievable. In essence, his name unlocks opportunities both externally and internally, driving me to be the best version of myself.

    People have different views of your father. How would you describe him?

    I would describe him as a servant of God first; a person who even at his age of seventy-one years attends Islamia and takes his religion seriously. I would also describe him as a person who is a family man, very committed to his children, and a wonderful father. He is a person committed to his country, the development of his country and the safeguarding of its people. A hardworking, purposeful, excellence-oriented, disciplined humanitarian with an acute awareness of the power of being effective and efficient. A person that attacks every role that he has ever been given with vigor and charisma that not only calls on his intellectual abilities but also on his innate humanity, which allows him to put people first and serve people as best as he can.

    He is a problem solver, a go-getter, a result-oriented human being, somebody that has always been able to prove himself time and time again as a problem solver, a fearless man, a fierce fighter for what is right, a man that believes in justice, a man that believes in good, a man that believes in breaking down social strata and doing what is best for the people.

    General Buba Marwa is best described as being exceptional, remarkable, inspiring, selfless, compassionate, and visionary.

    Unfortunately, some Nigerians look at things from tribal points of view. When you see people like this, how does it make you feel, and what would you tell them?

    Honestly, it saddens me deeply. Growing up, Nigeria was a different story – we were united, and our diversity was strength. We didn’t emphasise tribal or religious differences. Instead, we celebrated our shared humanity. Our country was better off when we focused on common goals and values.Seeing people viewed through a tribal lens today fills me with dismay. It’s disheartening to witness how this mindset divides us, fosters mistrust and hinders progress.

    If I could speak to those who view life through this narrow prism, I would say remember our past. We were once a united people, looking beyond tribe and religion. We can be that again. Let’s focus on our shared aspirations, our common humanity, and the boundless potential of our great nation. Tribalism and division only hold us back. They blind us to the strengths and contributions of others. Let’s open our hearts and minds to the beauty of diversity.

    Imagine a Nigeria where every citizen, regardless of tribe or faith has equal opportunities, equal rights and equal dignity. That’s the Nigeria we deserve. Let’s choose unity over division, empathy over prejudice, and progress over stagnation. Together, we can rebuild the Nigeria of our dreams – a nation where every voice matters, every culture thrives, and every citizen flourishes.

    We must revive the spirit of unity that once defined us and strive for a brighter, more inclusive future.

    What is Aspire Women Forum all about, and to what extent has the NGO been able to achieve its goals?

    Aspire Women Forum is a female-centric non-governmental organisation founded in 2019 with a mission to empower women to recognise their potential and contribute to Nigeria’s development. Our focus is multifaceted:

    .Political Participation: Encouraging women to engage in politics and take leadership roles.

    .Personal Growth: Providing conferences, mentorships, and networking opportunities for women to self-actualize and find purpose.

    .Happiness and Fulfillment: Supporting women in achieving happiness and living fulfilling lives.

    .Education and Agency: Emphasizing the importance of education and empowering women to recognise their agency in shaping Nigeria’s future.

    Through our Aspire Women Network, with chapters across Nigeria, we’ve achieved significant milestones:

    .Empowering women through workshops, mentorship programmes, and conferences.

    .Fostering a community of supportive women, promoting collaboration and collective growth.

    .Inspiring women to run for public office, take leadership roles, and engage in grassroots activism.

    Our impact extends beyond numbers, as we’ve witnessed transformative stories of women breaking free from societal limitations, discovering their voices and advocating for change; becoming change-makers in their communities.Aspire Women Forum remains committed to creating a Nigeria where women are equals, empowered to drive progress and prosperity.

    How does it feel to be raised by cross-cultural parents?

    Being raised by parents from different tribes was truly wonderful. My father is from Adamawa State, specifically Michika Local Government Area, while my mother hails from Imo State, Emekuku Local Government Area. Growing up, I benefited from a unique blend of cultures.

    In my childhood, tribal differences weren’t as pronounced as they are today. Our home was a microcosm of a harmonious society where my mom’s and dad’s families merged seamlessly. We never experienced conflicts rooted in tribal or religious differences. Instead, our household was filled with love, unity and friendship. This cross-cultural upbringing broadened my perspective, allowing me to see life through various lenses. I could pick and choose the values and traditions that resonated with me, shaping my own belief system and faith. It was enlightening to experience the richness of both worlds.

    This diverse background has been a precious gift, teaching me the beauty of unity in diversity; to appreciate different viewpoints and traditions; to cultivate empathy and understanding; that tribe or ethnicity doesn’t define one’s worth or potential.

    My parents’ loving union and our harmonious home life instilled in me the importance of tolerance, open-mindedness, and acceptance. Their cross-cultural marriage showed me that love knows no bounds, and that together we can build a more inclusive and compassionate society. Overall, being raised by cross-cultural parents has been a treasured experience, enriching my life with diverse perspectives, values, and traditions.

    Would you allow any of your children to join the army?

    I hold the army in high esteem, being part of a legacy family with three generations of service. My grandfather, father, and brother have all dedicated themselves to the Nigerian army. Although my father is now retired, I’m deeply proud of our family’s heritage. If any of my children wish to join the army, I would wholeheartedly support them. As a parent, I don’t intend to dictate their career paths, as long as their chosen profession aligns with our family values and faith. The army is a noble profession, and I would be honored if any of my five children chooses to serve.

    What are your regrets in life?

    I’m always surprised when people claim to have no regrets. That’s equivalent to saying they’ve never made mistakes. As a human being, I’ve made my share of errors and have regrets, especially regarding missed opportunities, unlearned lessons, and poor decisions. I don’t have just one regret; I have several. But I’m constantly evolving, learning and growing. I anticipate making more mistakes and having more regrets. However, my parents taught me that as long as I learn from those mistakes and do better next time, it’s okay.

    I’ve come to realize that regrets can be valuable teachers. They help me refine my decisions, sharpen my intuition, and develop resilience. I’ve learned to confront my regrets head-on, extract the lessons and move forward. In the words of my parents, mistakes are inevitable, but wisdom comes from learning and growing. I’ve adopted this mindset, choosing to transform regrets into stepping stones for personal growth.

    As I look back, I’m reminded that life’s journey is about progress, not perfection. Embracing regrets as opportunities for self-improvement has freed me from the weight of what-ifs.

    To anyone struggling with regrets, I offer this: don’t be afraid to confront your mistakes. Learn from them and use that wisdom to forge a brighter path forward. Remember, every experience – joyful or painful – shapes you into the person you’re meant to be.

    Ending on a hopeful note, I leave you with this: may our regrets become catalysts for growth, and may our lessons learned illuminate the path to a wiser, more compassionate tomorrow.

  • My encounter with Nigerian pastors serving jail terms in England – UK Prison Chaplain

    My encounter with Nigerian pastors serving jail terms in England – UK Prison Chaplain

    Reverend Michael Angley Ogwuche is the National Director for Chaplaincy (England and Wales) for New Testament Church of God. He is also an Ordained minister serving on the Steering Committee of the Free Churches Group, overseeing Free Church Chaplains in Her Majesty’s Prisons across England and Wales. He spoke with INNOCENT DURU about his encounter with Nigerians, including pastors, who are serving jail terms in the UK and his plans to meet former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife.

    Could you give a brief introduction of yourself?

    My name is Reverend Michael Angley Ogwuche. I was born in Abakpa, Kaduna, Nigeria, although both of my parents come from Benue State. My early education was a challenging journey due to dyslexia, a neurodiverse condition that affects one’s ability to process written information. In some parts of the world, it is classified as a learning disability, and growing up with this condition certainly posed its own set of obstacles.

    My upbringing was shaped by both of my parents, who embodied resilience and hard work. My father served in the Nigerian Army, specifically in the Supply and Transport Unit, and also worked as a personal cook for a colonial district officer in the Idoma division following his service in Burma under the British Army. My mother, although not formally educated, was a pillar of strength within our family. She ensured we had the basics, even amid financial challenges, and her memory continues to be a source of inspiration to me.

    In terms of higher education, I have been fortunate to study at esteemed theological institutions in the United Kingdom. I hold certificates in Biblical and Evangelistic Studies from Cliff College, affiliated with the University of Sheffield, and a Certificate in Theology from the University of Manchester. I went on to earn a BA (Hons) in Theology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Theology (Global Mission and Culture) from the same institution. Most recently, I completed a Master of Arts in Chaplaincy from the University of Durham.

    Were you born with a silver spoon?

    Reflecting on my journey, I can say with confidence that I was not born with any privileges. But my path has been one of faith, determination and an unwavering commitment to life-long learning.

    What were you doing before you left Nigeria?

    Before leaving Nigeria, I was deeply involved in ministry and education. Following my time at the United Pentecostal School of Theology, I served as a Street Evangelist and was later appointed Director of Bible Correspondence for the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, an American mission. In this role, I oversaw the recruitment and administration of the Bible Correspondence Course programme, which played a key part in spreading the gospel and educating individuals across Nigeria.

    From 1993 to 1996, I worked as Registrar at the Christian Leadership College in Lagos. My responsibilities included managing academic records, overseeing admissions and ensuring the smooth operation of the college’s programmes. These roles provided invaluable experience in leadership, education and evangelism, equipping me for the missionary work that followed.

    At what point did you leave the country and why?

    In 1996, I relocated to The Gambia after numerous missionary visits to Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal. Nigeria at the time was relatively stable, and my move was driven not by economic factors but by a call to serve humanity through God’s work. Since then, I have travelled extensively, volunteering for various causes around the globe, often at my own expense.

    What was the experience like when you changed environment?

    Transitioning to life in the UK came with its challenges, including cultural adjustments and returning to formal education. Studying theology and chaplaincy in British institutions has deepened my understanding and enabled me to serve in various roles, including as a Hospital Chaplain, Maritime Cadet Chaplain, and Prison Chaplain. Additionally, I served as a Presbyter for the Methodist Church of Britain.

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    Today, I am the National Director for Chaplaincy (England and Wales) for the New Testament Church of God and an Ordained Minister. I also serve on the Steering Committee of the Free Churches Group, overseeing Free Church Chaplains in Her Majesty’s Prisons across England and Wales.

    You are a prison chaplain. What made you to choose that path?

    My journey to prison chaplaincy has been anything but straightforward. After two formative years at Bible College, I found myself serving in various areas of ministry. Street evangelism, in particular, ignited my passion for outreach, while leading a Bible correspondence course honed my communication skills. These early experiences, combined with my time as an associate pastor and circuit minister, provided invaluable insights into pastoral care. Thirteen years ago, I felt the call to chaplaincy, first serving in hospitals and as a Maritime Cadet chaplain before finding my place as a prison chaplain.

    My strong commitment to prison chaplaincy stems from my deeply held belief in justice and compassion, values central to my Christian faith. I am convinced that every individual, regardless of their circumstances, should have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of mercy and renewal. For me, this role is about more than providing spiritual guidance; it is about offering hope to those who are often forgotten by society.

    What is your experience working with prisoners?

    As a prison chaplain, I have the privilege of living out this belief every day. My role allows me to stand alongside people who are frequently marginalised, offering them encouragement, hope and guidance on their journey.

    Working within the challenging environment of a prison is immensely fulfilling. It is here, behind the walls, that I have witnessed the raw struggles of human nature, as well as the immense potential for transformation that exists in every individual.

    My faith compels me to see beyond the labels and offences, to the person behind them — someone who needs guidance, understanding and the chance for a new beginning.

    My motivation for this work is also deeply personal. I am driven by the stories of redemption and change I have been privileged to witness —those moments when light breaks through the darkness, and lives are truly transformed. With the right support and spiritual nurturing, I have seen people rebuild their lives in ways they never thought possible.

    My calling to serve as a prison chaplain is far more than a professional career; it is a mission to extend Christ’s love and compassion to those who are often overlooked. Through my work, I strive to create an environment where hope can flourish, and the possibility of new beginnings can take root.

    In terms of professional standards, it is important to note that becoming a Christian chaplain in the UK prison system involves meeting rigorous requirements. Alongside the necessary theological education, Christian chaplains must be either Anglican priests or deacons, Catholic priests or laypersons, or ministers from other denominations recognised under the Free Church Groups. These chaplains are trained and accredited faith practitioners within their own religious communities, and they are held accountable by their respective Christian denominations.

    My commitment to providing holistic, faith-based care within the prison system remains steadfast. This role allows me to offer a sense of hope and spiritual renewal to those who need it most, helping them navigate their personal journeys towards transformation. It is a calling that I embrace with both humility and conviction, trusting in the power of faith to inspire real, meaningful change in the lives of those I serve.

    Former Nigerian deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu and his wife are in prison in the UK. Have you by any means met them and how are they doing?

    As a Nigerian-British citizen and someone deeply involved in the UK justice system, I am well aware of the case and convictions of Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu and his wife. Their situation has captured the attention of many Nigerians living in the United Kingdom. My vested interest in the welfare of Nigerians in foreign prisons is not just professional but also personal. As the founder of the Nigerian Overseas Prisoners Support Initiative (NOPSI), I am committed to supporting Nigerians who find themselves incarcerated abroad.

    While I have not had the opportunity to meet the Ekweremadus personally, my role as His Majesty’s Prison Chaplain has allowed me to inquire about their welfare through colleagues in chaplaincy who serve at their establishment. I am kept informed of their respective locations, but due to confidentiality, I am unable to disclose this information publicly.

    At present, NOPSI has formally requested a visit to the Ekweremadus, as part of our commitment to offering support to fellow Nigerians. However, because I work closely with the Ministry of Justice, I must undergo the necessary security clearances to ensure there is no conflict of interest. Our purpose in visiting them is to provide encouragement and to remind them that regardless of the circumstances surrounding their imprisonment, we are here for them as compatriots, offering support and hope in difficult times.

    Besides Ekweremadu, are there other high profile Nigerians in the prisons in the UK?

    There are indeed other Nigerians, including pastors, currently serving sentences in UK prisons. However, I am not in a position to reveal their names or identities due to their right to privacy.

    These individuals have been convicted of a range of offences from fraud and drug-related crimes to sexual offences and even murder. While it may be surprising to hear of religious leaders finding themselves in such circumstances, it is essential to remember that they are human too, capable of making mistakes or poor decisions.

    Additionally, some of the offences for which these individuals are imprisoned might have had different outcomes had they occurred in Nigeria, where the legal system operates differently.

    The UK is renowned for its strict adherence to law and order, and it does not make exceptions for one’s status or position. As the saying goes, if you do the crime, you must be prepared to do the time, which rings especially true in the British judicial system. It’s a stark reminder that justice here is impartial, and everyone is held accountable regardless of their role in the society.

    Aside from the UK, do you also  work with prisoners in other countries?

    I have recently returned from Hong Kong where I was working to establish NOPSI’s Asia Regional Office. This office will allow us to extend our support to Nigerian prisoners across the region, including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and other locations. In November, I will be travelling to The Gambia to set up a similar office in West Africa.

    Once we are fully operational, I believe we will be able to expand our efforts to other regions as well. However, this is not a task we can accomplish on our own. The success of our mission will require the support and collaboration of the Nigerian diplomatic missions, particularly through the Diaspora Commission. Their backing is crucial as we strive to provide assistance and advocacy for Nigerians incarcerated abroad.

    How are you working it out, I mean serving as prison chaplain in the UK and also extending your ministry to other parts of the world?

    As I mentioned earlier, while I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a prison chaplain, it can be a challenging role, particularly when navigating the complexities of the system. One of the main difficulties arises from potential conflicts of interest between my duties as a chaplain within Her Majesty’s Prisons and any external activities I undertake, especially in relation to Nigerian prisoners.

    Security concerns mean that I must be cautious and mindful of my responsibilities, ensuring that my work outside the prison does not interfere with or compromise my role within the establishment. As such, I have to approach my support for Nigerian prisoners with great care, balancing my commitment to them with the need to uphold the security protocols and professional standards required in my position.

    Any plans to do something similar in Nigeria?

    At present, there are no plans to establish a similar initiative in Nigeria, as the country is still evolving in its approach to justice. For example, I am not aware of any statutory prison chaplaincy in Nigeria, unlike the system we have here in the UK and across much of the Western world.

    In the UK, the Prison Act of 1952 mandates that “every prison shall have a governor, a chaplain, and a medical officer, and such other officers as may be necessary.” This legislation laid the foundation for chaplaincy to be formally recognised and remunerated by the Ministry of Justice, enabling chaplains to perform statutory duties in addition to their primary roles in providing spiritual, pastoral, and religious care.

    This statutory recognition and support for chaplaincy in the UK creates a structured environment in which chaplains can effectively fulfil their roles within the prison system. Until a similar framework is established in Nigeria, implementing such initiatives will remain a challenge.

    Which government agencies would you be working with in Nigeria to actualise your dreams?

    I believe there are approximately four key agencies in Nigeria that NOPSI is particularly interested in collaborating with. These include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and, where possible, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

    Partnering with these organisations would be instrumental in achieving our goals, as they each play a vital role in the administration of justice and the welfare of Nigerians abroad. By working together, we can strengthen support systems for Nigerians incarcerated overseas and ensure they receive the assistance they need throughout their time in prison and beyond.

    What is your opinion about prisons in Nigeria and how can the situations be made better?

    The Nigerian Prison Service, now rebranded as the Nigerian Correctional Service, has long struggled with negative public perception. A simple change of name does not necessarily reflect a change in character. However, the issue goes beyond the Nigerian Correctional Service itself; it is part of a larger systemic problem that affects both the public and private sectors of Nigerian society. Until Nigerians fully understand the responsibilities of citizenship on a micro level, these problems will persist, as those working in these sectors are, after all, also Nigerians.

    This brings to mind Fyodor Dostoevsky’s observation: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” For example, the average cost of housing a prisoner in the United Kingdom is between £44,000 and £54,500 per year, while in Norway it is around £102,000. In stark contrast, Nigeria spends less than $300 per prisoner annually. This stark difference highlights the value placed on those in correctional facilities.

    A clinical psychologist and prison governor in Norway once explained to The Guardian why Norwegian prisoners are treated with dignity: “The punishment is that you lose your freedom. If we treat people like animals when they are in prison, they are likely to behave like animals. Here, we pay attention to you as human beings.” The situation in Nigeria’s correctional system can improve, but only if both Nigerians and the Nigerian government begin to place real value on their citizens. Until this shift happens, meaningful reform remains unlikely.

    Which experience in your work as a prison chaplain made you emotional, I mean moved you to tears or unforgettable to you till date?

    Every time I walk down the wings to visit the men, I am acutely aware that I could have been one of them. This thought resonates deeply with me, but what strikes me even more is the disproportionate number of young Black men within the prison system. I often see my younger self reflected in these individuals. However, as a chaplain, I look beyond their crimes and see them as men in need of compassion and support. This is why I have dedicated the rest of my life to walking alongside those who find themselves imprisoned around the world.

    I hope that those of us outside the prison walls will have a change of heart and spare some thought for those on the inside. There are Nigerians in prisons in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore who will never return to Nigerian soil, having been convicted and sentenced to death. It is essential for the Nigerian government to remember that despite their circumstances, these individuals remain Nigerians. Ultimately, we are all imprisoned in some way; it’s just a matter of degree.

  • What Nigerians should demand is restructuring, not protests – Ohakim  

    What Nigerians should demand is restructuring, not protests – Ohakim  

    Former Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, in this interview with selected journalists, shares his views on some national pressing issues including those affecting the economy, security, #EndBadGovernance protests, governance in Imo State, and Nigeria. Our correspondent, Chris Njoku was there. Excerpts:

    Give us a general appraisal of the President Tinubu administration …

    First of all, I would say that the economic crisis in the country is perennial. We have been living with it for quite some time, and the causative factors obviously precede the administration of President Tinubu.  However, one is not oblivious of the fact that the current high cost of living in the country is unprecedented, and I would say that there are two major causative factors.  One is remote, the other is immediate.

    The remote has to do with structural imbalances in the economy that have failed to respond to earlier measures taken by previous administrations in addressing them.  It is the cumulative effect of these persistent structural hiccups that made the Tinubu administration resort to a rather radical approach but unfortunately, there is an incongruity between the radical measures and the underlying structural issues.  In other words, the existing socio-economic structure does not have the capacity to absorb the radical measures being taken by the Tinubu administration. 

    Can you dwell more on the radical measures you are talking about?

    The major thing is the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy and the floating of the naira.  By the time the Tinubu administration began to implement the subsidy withdrawal policy, neither the micro nor macro-economic units had the capacity to absorb them.  For example, personal incomes were too low for the households to absorb the sudden and sharp rise in the prices of goods and services resulting from the equally sharp increase in the price of petrol.  At the macro-economic level, there arose a mismatch in demand and supply and we can go on and on.

    So, do you think the Tinubu administration did not act properly in withdrawing the subsidy as some critics say?

    Not at all.  Nigerians agreed that petroleum product subsidy should be removed.  It was a campaign issue among all the presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections, and each and every one of them said emphatically that they would remove subsidy if elected.  In any case, the Buhari administration did not make provisions for it in the 2023 budget.  So, President Tinubu had no option.  If you can remember his words, what the president said while he was speaking after his inauguration was, “Subsidy is gone”; which means it was already gone before he took over. I am not saying that he should be exonerated from whatever are the unintended consequences of that policy but the point I am making is that as a policy measure, subsidy removal was inevitable and as I have earlier said, the administration preceding this had already removed subsidy by not making provision for it in its last budget.

    However, critics blame the administration for not putting adequate measures in place to enable Nigerians to cope with the potential difficulties the subsidy removal would throw up.

    To an extent, it would appear so but remember that I have just told you that subsidy removal was already a fait accompli before President Tinubu came on board, in the sense that no provision was made for it in the 2023 budget by the outgoing administration.   So, it is likely that under the circumstances, the new administration did not have enough time to put up measures that would adequately cushion the effects of the subsidy removal before implementing it.  But I think the administration has put up a good fight but as I said earlier, it is battling with perennial structural issues.

    How would you score the administration?

    First of all, I am amazed by the uncommon courage the president has shown in taking some of the measures that have resulted in the current difficulties. Personally, I believe it will not be for nothing. I believe that something positive will definitely happen. A president has a helicopter view of all aspects of a nation’s life. What we cannot see standing, he can see even while squatting. I do not believe that any president would simply want to punish his people as some of our people claim. I have decided to remain calm and watch the situation and I similarly appeal to fellow Nigerians to remain calm and let’s watch and pray and continue to give our support to the administration.

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    If you were the president, how would you have handled the situation?

    Your question is rather hypothetical and I don’t like answering hypothetical questions.  The reality is that I am not the president. But we now have a situation whereby everybody claims to have the answer to every problem facing the nation. We have a cacophony of voices on television.  Everybody has become an expert in economics.  The mistake some of us make is to think that those in government are daft and that they know nothing.  But no matter how learned or knowledgeable you are, you can never know or understand a system better than those operating it.  I am not saying that people inside the government know it all or should not take advice from those outside.  What I am saying is that it is wrong to go about saying that those in government just sit down and watch.  You would even hear that governors collect monthly allocations from Abuja, pocket it, and walk away.  Such allusions are too ordinary, and I get amused when some of your colleagues mouth such things.  The question they should ask themselves is, if you meet your counterparts from other countries and you begin to say such things, won’t they laugh at you?  Won’t they ask you where you were as a so-called watchdog of the society and governors or other government officials for that matter pocket public funds and walk away?  Elsewhere, journalists don’t just go about making such claims, they use the powers given to them by the Constitution to make sure that such things do not happen or if they happen at all, the culprits are brought to book. I am not saying that corrupt practices might not be going on, but I am worried at the use of extreme hyperboles that effectively trivialize the issues and even ridicule the entire nation.

    What’s your take on the recent protests against economic hardship?

    Were the protests against hardship or against alleged bad governance?

    Well, it was tagged Endbad governance protest.

    There we go. I don’t think protesting against economic hardship and protesting against bad governance are one and the same thing.  The end bad governance appellation polluted the intentions of the protests which were ordinarily good. Once you say “end bad governance”, politics comes in and people become alerted.  Whether you like it or not, every administration, no matter how bad you think it is doing, would always have those supporting it.  Once you come with phrases like “bad governance”, some people get alerted.  You must have noticed that as far as many people are concerned, not only those inside the government, the protests were an attempt to change the government of the day.  Right or wrong, no sitting government will allow itself to be uprooted and thrown away just like that.  Personally, I am not happy that the somewhat political coloration of the protests has unintentionally obliterated our general appreciation of the significance of the protests.  Protests are legitimate and in the present circumstances, Nigerians had every reason to protest but like I said earlier, elements of partisanship, not just politics, were brought into it.  Be that as it may, I believe that the administration is not glossing over it.  I believe the president got the message and he said so.

    You are a leader in the Southeast, did you support the idea that your people stayed away from that protest?

    Why not? Of course, I supported the idea and the reasons given for that. Some people accused the Igbo of egging other parts of the country on but later refused to join the protests. That was not fair at all. The Igbo have been in protest since the end of the civil war.  The IPOB issue is a form of protest.  Before IPOB, there was the MASSOB which was also a form of protest.  So, to say that the Igbo are afraid of protests is quite unreasonable.  We have so many headaches in the area.   Prices of food items are higher in the Southeast than in the other parts of the country but by the nature of the Igbo, they have realized that protesting will not solve the problem overnight.  Ndigbo realize that the problem is a fundamental one and as such, its solution must be fundamental.  That’s why we are asking for restructuring.  Our late leader, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, just a few weeks before he died, inaugurated an Ohaneze committee to advise the federal government on restructuring.  We want to be methodic and more focused this time around.  Not just noise making. That’s why we are pleading that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu should be released.  And once that request is granted, we will take him to Ala Igbo and we will all sit down and ask ourselves some critical questions.  In any case, what’s the fuss about the Southeast not participating?   The point, as I said earlier, has been made through those who participated.

    Still on the Southeast, how would you rate the administration of your state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma?

    I am not Governor Uzodimma’s PR person so it is not my duty to begin to tabulate what he has achieved but let me say something many people outside Imo State do not know.  Uzodimma inherited a situation that was worse than what any of his predecessors, including my very self, met.  He inherited what I may call a void, in the sense that there was no institutional memory of how the state was run for a cumulative period of almost ten years.

    By the time he took over, there were no documents on how the state was governed from May 29, 2011 to January 15, 2020, the day the Supreme Court declared him the authentic winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election.  There were no handover notes in the state for close to ten years. I wrote the last handover notes in the state when I was leaving office in 2011.The fellow Uzodimma took over from did not receive any handover notes from his immediate predecessor and did not give Uzodimma any, given the circumstance of his exit.  So, Uzodimma came and was wondering where to start from.  So, I was the only person who could tell him what was in the state by the time I left office in 2011.

     In other words, I was the only leader with an institutional memory of the state of affairs in the state for close to 10 years.  So, I had to make sure I made myself available.  Besides the fact that we both had a shared vision of how the state should be when he first ran for that office in 2003 with me as his running mate, my philosophy is that past governors should work closely with incumbents for the overall interest of the state and its people.  So, I decided to make myself available and he encouraged me not just because we are political allies but also because he realized that a synergy with me would be in the overall interest of the state and its people. Apart from the above, Uzodimma took over almost at the same time the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.  Most of the governors who came into office in May 2019 had put in at least seven months before the pandemic.  Yet, he was able to take off well to the extent that Imo recorded one of the lowest numbers of cases of Covid-19.

     So, you think he is doing well?

    So far, so good. If he is not doing well, I have no business supporting him.  In the countdown to the November 11, 2023 governorship election that returned him for a second term, I wrote an open letter to the good people of Imo State giving reasons why he should be re-elected and followed it up with visits to critical opinion leaders.  One of them was that he has this striking understanding with the federal authorities and which we must exploit further instead of bringing an entirely fresh person.  Today, I am vindicated. Let me give you one illustration.  Shortly after his re-election, he was able to get the federal government to allow the state take over an electricity project it was doing in the state.  Even though power has been removed from the exclusive list to the concurrent, the federal government had no difficulty in allowing the Imo State government take over its power project in Egbema.  That was not for nothing.  A brand new fellow would not have been able to get such a concession within such a short period of time.  And the governor is running with the ball with a state-propelled independent power project.  He quickly set up the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission which is working day and night.  As I talk to you, the power project that will give Imo State 24 hours of uninterrupted supply of electricity is billed for commissioning in the first quarter of 2025.  That will be quite revolutionary and if he succeeds in that, as I believe he will, the story in Imo state will be entirely different.

    But it is believed in some quarters that your decision to work closely with the governor is because you are nursing the ambition of taking over from him at the end of his tenure in 2027.

    First, as I have just told you, there is no way I could have turned my back against a Hope Uzodimma administration and I gave you the reasons.  Second, nobody should be surprised that meanings are being read into the fact that I am probably the most visible around the administration compared with his other three predecessors.  But the fact is that I am not doing it because I want to take over from him, I have given you the reasons why I decided to be around, especially as he encouraged me to do so.  You do not need to be hanging around a governor to nurse an ambition to run for office. Those you need to go to are the people.  And I know that the governor realizes the fact that my unalloyed support for his administration is not because I am nursing an ambition.  I can tell you that today in Imo State, there are people who are nursing the ambition to succeed Uzodimma that are not seen around him.  Some people have tried to create the impression that because the governor has shown interest in what one or two fellows are doing, then he has endorsed them as his possible successor.  That’s a wrong interpretation of the situation.

    But, there is still a strong rumour in the state that you will be throwing your hat in the ring for the 2027 governorship race.

    What is there is a rumour? Won’t it surprise you if such rumour around me, Ikedi Ohakim, do not exist?   If anybody comes out to say that I am going to run for governor in 2027 will he or she be said to be guessing wrongly? Personally, I don’t talk about 2027 because I believe it is too early, apart from that it would amount to a distraction to the governor.  In other words, I will be contradicting myself by saying that I am working for him to continue with his good works and finish well and at the same time talk about who will succeed him.

    But others can talk on your behalf and already one or two influential personalities in the state have been canvassing for your return.

     Can you name those that are campaigning for me?

    Two prominent indigenes of Owerri Zone, Prince Bob Njemanze and Mr. Paddy Obinna, elder brother of Archbishop Obinna, and Chief Ralph Obioha, an elder statesman and former presidential aspirant, have also come out to canvas for your return. This is strong evidence that some people are already rooting for you.

    I was governor for four years and of all the 305 electoral wards in the state, there is none in which I did not have supporters or those who worked with me.  We are in a free democratic world where people can legitimately have their own ideas on how things should go and sometimes go about canvassing it without necessarily doing eye service.  I do not think we should quarrel over people trying to express their thoughts on matters concerning their environment either as individuals or as a group.  So, if any individual or group indulges in any tendencies that would suggest that Ikedi Ohakim should be governor again, you think they should be crucified?  Right now, there are serious debates going on in the state over power sharing and do you think it is possible that names like Ikedi Ohakim will not be mentioned in one way or the other?.  But to cut a long story short, I am not talking about 2027 yet and I have not told anybody to talk about it on my behalf or to campaign for me.      

     You made mention of restructuring but there has been this back and forth about it. Why do you think we are not making progress with it?              

    More than ever before, restructuring has become inevitable. Some people were pretending but it has become clear to everyone that we cannot continue with the present structure if Nigeria must survive. The Patriots are right in asking for a new constitution though that is not the first time. Restructuring and change of the constitution or some of its provisions are not one and the same thing but we need constitutional changes, whether wholly or partially, to effect restructuring.

    For instance, restructuring may need going for a referendum but the current constitution has no provision for a referendum. The president was also right in the way he responded to the patriots, led by our highly respected Chief Emeka Anyaoku.I agree with him that he should be given some time to first fix the economy but that should only be in the short term. As far as I am concerned, no meaningful transformation of the Nigerian economy can take place without restructuring and I am certain that President Tinubu will ultimately work towards that because I know that he believes in restructuring. Just a few weeks ago, some of our people gathered in Abuja to pay tribute to the late Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr Michael Okpara. Okpara performed so well not because he was a magician but because the system then made it possible.  Both the Western and Northern regions respectively under Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello also witnessed steady economic growth and stability; all because the federating units, the regions, were truly autonomous and had powers to harness their own resources and channel them more meaningfully for the good of their respective people.  But since 1966, we have been operating a unitary system under the pretext of a federation.                    

    Are you suggesting that we should return to a regional arrangement?     

     We do not need a regional system to operate a truly federal structure. But if in the process of restructuring some states that are geographically contiguous and have cultural affinities decide to merge, that should be encouraged. We have a whole lot of work to do and we need to go about it with level-headedness. It is not something that can be achieved with a week-long protest. It is a long distance journey but we must start now.

    You spoke about the power project going in Imo State. Of course, similar projects are going on in several parts of the country but the major problem militating against the development of Nigeria’s power sector is the perennial hiccups in gas supply. You were once the chairman of the National Gas Policy Committee and I believe that the position must have exposed you to the nuances of the nation’s gas production and supply issues. Why do you think we are finding it difficult to get over these challenges?

    Good question. With approximately 202 trillion cubic feet of untapped proven reserves, Nigeria’s natural gas sector presents a significant opportunity for economic growth and development. As the chair of the National Committee for Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan in 2008 under President Yar’Adua, I oversaw the development of a comprehensive policy framework designed to optimize domestic utilization, promote gas-based industrialization, and position Nigeria as a major player in the global gas market. Despite laying this foundation and subsequent policies, including the National Gas Policy of 2017 and the Flare Gas Policy of 2018, the sector’s development has been hindered by various challenges. However, the current administration’s commitment to gas sector development, exemplified by initiatives such as the Gas Sector Development Plan and the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Program, is a positive step towards unlocking the sector’s potential.

    There is this myth that has been created around Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. Like insecurity, do you think the oil and gas sector in Nigeria is too difficult to manage for the benefit of the people?

    It is not rocket science. If we do the proper things, we will get all the benefits from the sector. Maximizing the economic benefits of Nigeria’s gas resources requires a multifaceted approach that will encompass infrastructure development; expanding and upgrading gas processing facilities, pipelines  and transmission networks to support increased production and domestic utilization; investment promotion; encouraging foreign and domestic investment in the sector through incentives, partnerships, and transparent regulatory frameworks; market development by creating a competitive gas market through price liberalization, market restructuring and demand stimulation; environmental sustainability by implementing measures to minimize environmental impacts, such as flaring reduction and carbon capture. By addressing these key areas, Nigeria can unlock the full potential of its gas sector, generating an estimated $20 billion in annual Gross Value Added and supporting over 7 million full-time jobs. The time for investment in Nigeria’s gas sector is now, and I am happy President Tinubu is seizing this opportunity.

    The  security situation in the country seems to have defied any known logic. Why do you think the government is finding it impossible to handle the matter?

    I don’t think it is correct to say that the government is finding it impossible to handle the security challenges in the country. I am aware that quite a lot is being done and that a lot of progress is being recorded. The Police Equipment Fund, for example, is being put into effective use through the acquisition of sophisticated equipment that is being deployed all over the country. But since these equipment are not purchased off the shelf, we give the authorities time to place the order and get them into the country. But I am aware that as of today, all the divisional police headquarters in the 774 local government areas in the country have been linked up to a central monitoring system for effective coordination. And let me seize this opportunity to commend the new Executive Secretary of the Fund for the innovations he has brought into its management, especially by making it easier and attractive for corporate bodies to be part of the programme. The Fund is now better coordinated through the office of the national security adviser and I believe that we will soon begin to see better results. But having said that, I think that the thing to do is to decentralize and democratize the security architecture of the country. There has to be a Marshal plan for tackling insecurity in the country. We should begin to take a more serious look at state police. Like several other well-meaning Nigerians, I believe that the time for it is now. Everybody has a role to play. Everybody has to police his own environment.

    But there has been this talk about Community Policing but it appears no progress is being made in that direction.

    Community policing should not just be about wearing uniforms on some natives and branding them community police. It is about democratizing policing, as I said earlier, whereby everybody sees himself as a policeman without necessarily wearing a uniform. I believe that if we do this in addition to the current efforts by the government to properly equip the regular police, we will certainly get somewhere.