Now that Wike and Keyamo are ministers

Casmir Igbokwe

Dr. Obijiofor Aginam’s message to me was poignant. Last week, this Nigerian international law and global health governance scholar attended the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. At the end of his assignment at the summit, Aginam, who is an Adjunct Professor of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, wrote, “I flew from the Indian city of Ahmedabad to Mumbai to catch my connecting flight to Paris. At Mumbai International Airport, I was amazed to see Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi, Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa, Air Tanzania to Dar es Salaam, and RwandAir to Kigali all displayed on the airport information screen! If these countries can sustain their national carriers that now connect their countries with the commercial city of Mumbai, and Nigeria can’t, it means that Nigeria is pathologically sick. Corruption is a cancer that kills development.”

Aginam’s lamentation came the same week President Bola Tinubu inaugurated 45 new ministers in Abuja. Mr Festus Keyamo, a former Minister of State for Labour and Employment and President Tinubu’s Director, Public Affairs during his presidential campaign, is one of those ministers. He is the new Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

His appointment is a great reward for loyalty. Keyamo did everything humanly possible to ensure that Tinubu won the February 25, 2023 presidential election. He churned out statements disparaging the opposition and matched them fire for fire. At some point, he wrote a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS), accusing the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, of incendiary comments over the outcome of the presidential election. He said Datti-Ahmed posed as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, and unilaterally declared the “duly elected president-elect as ‘unconstitutional’ and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the president-elect is sworn in on May 29, 2023.” He therefore urged the DSS to arrest and prosecute Obi and Datti for incitement and treasonable felony.

Well, Obi and Datti have not been prosecuted. But, Nigerians took note of Keyamo’s ebullient style. He even confidently declared that Tinubu would be cleared of all allegations at the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal. “All the deceit and lies and disinformation and misinformation about otherwise very simple and clear issues are about to be busted by our Law Lords,” he boasted.

Now that Keyamo is lucky to fly Nigeria’s aviation flag, it is hoped that he will deploy the same energy he exuded during presidential campaigns to clear the mess his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, left in office. Shortly before the inauguration of this administration, Sirika said Nigeria Air would commence operations before May 29, 2023. Indeed, a plane painted in Nigeria Air colour landed with pomp and ceremony at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on May 26, 2023. It was soon discovered that it was Ethiopian Airlines aircraft that was repainted and baptized ‘Nigeria Air’. The aircraft has since gone back to Ethiopia. I have not heard much about Sirika since then. A serious government should look into that abracadabra and apportion appropriate punishment to whoever took us on that jolly ride to fool’s paradise. Keyamo should start his work from there and get to the root of the matter. Good enough, he said his watchword would be transparency. “At every point in time, the Nigerian people want to understand what we are doing. Nothing will be done in secrecy,” he told aviation staff members in Abuja soon after resumption of duty. Nigerians will watch this star minister with keen interest.

They will also keep an eye on another star minister, Mr Nyesom Wike. The immediate past governor of Rivers State has been making the right noises since he was inaugurated last Monday as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He threatened to demolish any building that distorted the Abuja master plan no matter whose ox was gored. As if to welcome him properly to the FCT, a two-storey building collapsed last Wednesday night in Abuja. At least, two people reportedly died and some others wounded. Did the collapsed building have due approval before it was constructed?

It’s left for Wike to find out. The only snag is that some critics believe he is on a vendetta mission. Recall that he is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But he got frustrated when he couldn’t achieve his desire to be presidential candidate of the party in the last election. So, he embraced Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who found him worthy in character and learning and gave him the honour of being a minister despite his vowing never to be a minister again.

Beyond pulling down unapproved buildings, which appears to be his top priority, Wike needs to consider some other agenda which some Nigerians have drawn up for him. Some of them are lighting up Abuja, ensuring that water flows into every house in the city, efficient transportation system, and checking crime, especially the influx of Boko Haram elements into the city. Since he is from Rivers State, it will not be too difficult for him to procure the services of warlords like Asari Dokubo to chase away all those corn sellers who bring terrorists into Abuja.

Wike is a good replacement for Nasir el-Rufai who was ruthless as FCT Minister between 2003 and 2007. El-Rufai stepped on powerful toes as he bulldozed illegally-built houses when he was in charge. He did a similar thing as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023. The role he played for Tinubu before and during the presidential election is well known. Like Wike, he deflected every opposition against Tinubu and was one of the architects of the Muslim-Muslim ticket Nigerians have been forced to contend with at the moment.

Unlike Wike, he exhibited traits of a religious bigot which made him unfit to be a minister of the federal republic. While he was governor in Kaduna, he picked a fellow Muslim as deputy against the tradition in the state. He also boasted to some Islamic clerics in the presence of his successor, Uba Sani, that the Muslim-Muslim ticket in Kaduna State governorship election would be sustained for over 20 years. He was happy that the same Muslim-Muslim ticket has been replicated at the national level. Like Wike, he had also said, in an old trending video, that he was a minister at 43 and thus, it would be unfair for him to return as minister 20 years after. The Senate refused to confirm his nomination and that of two others. He has since lost interest in any ministerial position. Now, he consoles himself with reggae songs, like Bob Marley’s “Who the Cap Fits”. Partly, the lyrics are, “Your best friend could be your worst enemy.” I won’t be surprised if he becomes a star actor in due course. And this is someone who described Peter Obi in the heat of campaigns as a Nollywood actor.

In any case, have we not even been acting in Nigeria in the name of governance? We have leaders who renew the hope of Nigerians in unfulfilled promises. In one of his campaign jibes in Calabar earlier in the year, Tinubu derided the Muhammadu Buhari-led government for not managing the economy well. He said Buhari met the exchange rate at N200/$1, but due to poor management of the economy, the exchange rate climbed to N800/$1. Today, the exchange rate regime is worse off, as Nigerians now contend with over N900/$1.

Besides, the wastage in government is something else. Like a showbiz impresario, our President, most times, moves in a convoy of variegated exotic cars that makes you think they are play-acting life in paradise. He has given us 45 brand new ministers most of who are old politicians with nothing much to add to the development of the country. The total number of ministerial nominees is actually 48, the highest since the emergence of this Fourth Republic in 1999. Three slots are yet to be filled.

Meanwhile, this is a government talking of renewing the hope of Nigerians in the economy, security, agriculture, transportation, power, oil and gas, health and education. With this bloated cabinet and a retinue of advisers, senior special assistants and special assistants, how will this government rebuild the almost collapsed economy? How will it tackle high inflation, which at 24.08 per cent is the highest in 18 years? How will it fix unemployment, poverty and acute hunger in the land?

Many Nigerians today consider it a big blessing to get visa and relocate abroad. They don’t fail to give testimonies in worship centres for such blessings. Some move out under the guise of going for further studies after selling off almost everything they have. They hope to get good jobs and bring in their family when they settle down. Unfortunately, most of them end up living like refugees. They forget that those countries they are migrating to will need to employ their own people first before looking the way of immigrants.

Our brand new ministers should take it as a challenge to work round the clock to make life better for Nigerians. President Tinubu has urged them to shun ethnic and other primordial sentiments in the discharge of their duties. That is the most honourable thing to do for the little time they have to stay in office. They should take Nigerians as one and not see anyone as an enemy or opponent. They should know, as Tinubu advised, that Nigerians were highly expectant of excellence in service delivery, accountability and transparency from them. This transparency should percolate to the judiciary. The ministers should join other Nigerians and the global community to keep all eyes on the judiciary. We are already counting the time for judgement in the presidential election petition. I hope Wike and Keyamo, who are senior lawyers, are counting the time with us!

Re: All eyes on Tinubu

Casmir, the APC led government is known for her magical policies. The official institution of policy somersault and legalization of corruption have made the public always wary of the activities of every arm of government, irrespective of executive, judiciary and legislature. A government that feeds the subjects lies and dubious policies can never expect to be trusted. Today, in Nigeria, it’s very hard to determine the direction of governance. There is no respect for the rule of law. Politicians have always used judiciary to achieve their aims amidst severe corruption allegations. Nigerians must always be sensitive to the activities of every arm of the government to checkmate their nefarious activities.

-Pharmacist Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922

Authoritarianism of feudal structure has defined governance in Africa. The governance ideology is skewed towards primitive accumulation. The use of state structures to intimidate and silence free speech! These manifestations actually exist in many of the national, sub national and local institutions of governance.

-Celestine Abasili, PhD, +234 803 307 3871

I always look forward to read your lines on Monday, wherever I’m. Kudos bro!

-Chief Chinasa Chile, +234 802 300 8302 

•Also published in the Daily Sun of Monday, August 28, 2023

All eyes on Tinubu

Casmir Igbokwe

Some Federal Government officials appear to be afraid of their shadows. It looks more like the proverbial saying that when a fowl farts, the land pursues it. Last week, Nigerians witnessed another attempt at authoritarianism. Some group had put up billboards in Abuja and elsewhere with the inscription, “All eyes on the judiciary”. The powers that be became fretful and ordered that the billboards be pulled down. They also dissolved the secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) for approving the advert and suspended its Director and Deputy Director in charge of regulations.

As the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, put it, “The advertisement is considered a blackmail against the Nigerian judiciary, the presidential election petition tribunal and particularly the justices of the tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently jus pendis.” He added that the advertisement was controversial and capable of instigating unrest and breach of public peace.

Which unrest if one may ask? It looks like some people are having guilty conscience. To me, there is nothing offensive about the advert. It did not mention any particular individual, tribunal or political party. There is also nothing unusual about it. Before the general election, our eyes were on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Our eyes were also on the major political parties and their candidates.

During the campaign for the presidential election, for instance, many supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, expressed concern that he was not visible on billboards; that his major opponents had their billboards everywhere. Obi’s response was that he was a moving billboard himself. While others concentrated on billboards and posters, he moved round many parts of Nigeria, including some remote areas of the North where he was warned to avoid visiting because of the insurgency in that part of the country. This made him more popular among the masses.

Some other presidential candidates had their idiosyncrasies which made them the cynosure of all eyes. A particular presidential candidate had told his supporters that “power is not served a la carte. At all cost, fight for it, grab it, and run with it.” Now that the elections are over and results announced in the ungodly hours of March 1, 2023, all eyes will naturally be on the judiciary. So, why are some people fretting and fearful of unrest? Indeed, as Usman Dan Fodio said, “Conscience is an open wound; only the truth can heal it.”

What will even instigate unrest in the real sense of it is the assault on the freedom of expression as enshrined in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). They may have pulled down billboards urging us to fix our eyes on the judiciary. But they can’t stop some diehard believers in our democracy from having the inscription, “All eyes on the judiciary” on their clothes. I have seen women who have the inscription on their bags as well. No billboard will be more effective than that.

Do you even blame Nigerians when they express fear about our judiciary? Recently, the Chairperson of the Kano State National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge, alleged that some lawyers were attempting to bribe judges in her team. Recall that Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa had said recently that he influenced his wife, Zainab, to help his colleagues when she was the President of the Court of Appeal. People know that our judiciary did not drop from the moon. The judges are susceptible to the influence of money and other considerations. That is why we have forum shopping in the profession. Besides, some recent judgements by our justices leave a sour taste in the mouth. Former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, for instance, did not contest for the senatorial election in his constituency in the 2023 election. He contested for the presidential primary election of his party and lost. Today, he is a senator courtesy of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In any case, since they have barred us from keeping our eyes on the judiciary, we have to change tactics. Now, will there be any crime to keep our eyes on the executive, especially President Bola Tinubu? We must keep watch on their movements and actions. This time round, there should not be any nocturnal visits to judges. Nor should judges embark on any such crooked movement.

Nigerians must keep their eagle eyes on bullion vans; where they enter and the routes they follow. Let it not be like what happened on the eve of the 2019 presidential election when two bullion vans were spotted entering Tinubu’s premises on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi.

We must keep our eyes on the plans of this government. Just look at the recent appointment of new ministers. Already, there are insinuations that the ruling party is planning for any eventuality. You know that it is only the Labour Party presidential candidate that got 25 per cent of the votes in Abuja. So, if the tribunal calls for a rerun of the presidential election, for instance, it means the new minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will be very useful in securing that 25 per cent for the ruling party in Abuja. The fear in many quarters now is that Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, may replicate the magic he performed in Rivers State that gave the All Progressives Congress (APC) questionable victory in the presidential election.

Let us also keep our eyes on the performance of this government. Its flip-flopping on major policies is becoming worrisome. The President announced the removal of fuel subsidy without any serious plans on palliatives. He enthused that it was not in his inaugural speech but that he just summoned courage and announced it. When Nigerians kicked against the action, he reeled out some ridiculous palliative measures. Some poor households, for instance, would be given N8, 000 cash each per month to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal. When people slammed the policy, he made a U-turn and suspended it.

Less than three months that this administration assumed office, the naira has suffered undue pummeling. A few days ago, the exchange rate climbed to over N900 per dollar. Inflation rose to an all-time high of 24.08 per cent as of July 2023. In June, it was 22.79 per cent. Nigerians have further been impoverished.

Amid all these, our government threatened to send Nigerian troops to Niger Republic to flush out the coup plotters that removed the civilian government of Mohamed Bazoum. Meanwhile, the current security situation in Nigeria calls for more urgent action. How can we spend our scarce resources on a military adventure into another country when we have continued to record casualties against our innocent citizens and soldiers? In Shiroro local government area of Niger State, soldiers ran into an ambush laid by terrorists recently. At the end of the firefight, at least, three officers and 22 soldiers got killed. Seven others were wounded. A Nigeria Air Force helicopter that went to evacuate the victims crashed, leading to more casualties. We are in deep trouble really! All eyes should be on the executive please!

Re: Akpabio’s uncommon tithe

Akpabio: the uncommon former governor of Akwa Ibom State remains an enigma in the art of acquisition and distribution of money. And money is the god of the earth! This uncommon man of style holds the original version of the expression that ”what money cannot do, more money can do, even much better.” Hate or love Akpabio, his days as governor of oil-rich Akwa Ibom State witnessed an all-time process and actualisation of an uncommon transformation of the state. Akpabio’s name remains indelible in the annals of Akwa Ibom State. Money answereth ‘all’ prayers: and this story of the wonders of money is aptly and beautifully told in James Hadley Chase’s classic – ‘What’s Better Than Money?’ In the game of liberality with money, Akpabio stands out and plays in the big league where he remains a permanent occupant. But his recent dramatization  of holiday gifts to his disciples of the senate in full glare of the hungry masses was quite hurtful: it was uncalled for.

-Edet Essien Esq. Cal South, 0810 809 5633

Dear Casy, tithing, from the biblical history is good, owing essentially, to the spirituality behind it. But when tithing migrates from the biblical corridor into political cauldron, it carries some tinge of ‘Greek gift’ and, therefore, loses its essence. Akpabio’s tithe is a Greek gift that is, presently, pregnant and shall be delivered of the ‘baby’ at the ‘right’ time and place. There is no smoke, they say, without fire.

-Steve Okoye, Awka, 08036630731.

Casmir, Akpabio’s uncommon/peculiar ways of tithing will ultimately see him get ‘tied’ up in future! He now derives pleasure from the predicaments of poor, struggling Nigerians in whose interest he should legislate upon to improve our welfare. As one of the begotten products of Tinubu’s ‘political calculations’, like can only beget like. Like Tinubu, like Akpabio! He wears Tinubu’s branded caps as a ‘token’ of appreciation and as a member of Tinubu’s political dynasty. Lord have mercy for his unwitting ways. At this moment, Nigerians don’t need a clown of a senate president who jokes on matters that are of serious concern to the masses! He has a penchant for trifling with the plights of Nigerians; remember the ‘let Nigerians breath episode too’. He should stop playing with our emotions. For Akpabio to have used the word ‘enjoy’ smacks of insensitivity to the sufferings of Nigerians! The sufferings are due to ill thought out policies of his benefactor-Tinubu. What he calls ‘token’ is what an average Nigerian has never earned in one swoop! Akpabio, enough is enough. Enough of comedy of errors. This was how Tinubu started during campaigns. Now we are all victims.

-Mike, Mushin, 0816 111 4572

Casmir, most public office holders are aware that the continuous relevance to their coveted positions must be always tithed for them to remain there. This tithe may be in form of contracts awarded to members without scrutiny, appointment to juicy positions etc. The aim is to buy favour from such in order to secure their own positions. Nigeria has over the years engrossed in such sore deed which defies all boundaries. The infestation of such leadership styles has denied the country good quality life as the budget is filtered in settlement of cronies to the detriment of the development of this great nation. I hope that with effective opposition and quality resistance from the press and masses such actions will be curtailed.

-Pharmacist Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922

Dear Casy, for the president of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, senators should be enjoying while the poor who are in the majority should make sacrifices and even keep on suffering. Nigerians rightly tagged the ninth Assembly led by Senator Ahmad Lawan as the worst rubber stamped Senate since 1999, we do hope that the 10th Assembly led by Senator Akpabio won’t beat that inglorious record judging by the way it screened President Tinubu’s ministerial nominees. Senator Akpabio performed relatively well as a governor but his current position may make or mar his future political career. The way he handles the current crisis in Niger Republic may determine if he will last longer in that hot seat or fall to the ever littering banana peels in the Senate Chambers. If he dances to the tune of President Tinubu, the northern senators may come after him. Conversely, if he panders to the bidding of the northern senators, President Tinubu may see him as being disloyal to his government. Whichever is the case, Akpabio seems to be trapped between the rock and a hard place.

-Ifeanyi, Owerri, +234 806 156 2735

Man, I am always impressed with your write-ups. Thanks.

-Tsammani John, Bauchi, 0901 378 2461

•Also published in the Daily Sun of Monday, August 21, 2023

Akpabio’s uncommon tithe

Casmir Igbokwe

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, is never afraid of money. That is why he has the Midas touch in everything he does. As governor of Akwa Ibom State, he made giant strides in delivering dividends of democracy. He called it “Uncommon Transformation”. As minister of Niger Delta Affairs, he changed the perception of money in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). As the former NDDC Managing Director, Ms Joy Nunieh, once alleged, Akpabio asked her to change the dollars in the NDDC account the first day she stepped into office; that he described her as having poverty mentality and being afraid of money.

Akpabio has one thing going for him – payment of tithe. As a true Christian, he performs this obligation in different ways. Last Monday, for instance, he deposited some tithes into the accounts of his fellow senators. He called it a token meant to enable them to enjoy their holiday. Each of the 109 senators reportedly got not less than N2 million. It amounted to a total of about N218 million. It is likely that the principal officers collected higher amount. When the senators murmured and informed him that he was speaking on live television, he rephrased his statement. “I withdraw that statement. In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the Senate President has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return.”

Akpabio is a wise man, a very spiritual person! I won’t be surprised if he devotes substantial part of the Senate plenary sessions to prayer meetings. Who does not know that tithe is a form of prayer, a religious cum legislative obligation? I suspect that part of the prayers in the lawmakers’ mailboxes goes like this: “O Lord, pursue our pursuers and deliver us from the hands of the evil ones. May we find more inspiration in our mailboxes for our daily devotions! All the witches and wizards plotting our downfall, Holy Ghost….Fire!”

We should never underestimate our senators in any way. By the way, they are entitled to 10 per cent of their annual basic salary as recess allowance once a year. The annual basic salary of a senator is N2,026,400. Hence, the recess allowance is N202,240 per annum. Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in June, allocated N70 billion to the National Assembly (NASS) in the amended supplementary budget to support the working conditions of new members. This is despite the N228.1 billion allocated to NASS in the 2023 budget.

It is possible that Akpabio’s latest tithe is 10 per cent of this N70 billion. In that case, I wonder what critics want him to do. Whether you call it prayer token or holiday token, the most important thing is that Akpabio has paid his tithe. Some critics say his own share is far higher than what his colleagues collected; that the entire token was for facilitating the approval of the appointment of President Bola Tinubu’s ministers – the take-a-bow kind of approval. I heard that the senators complained that the N2million given to them was paltry. Do they not know that tithe has a limit? Don’t they know that it is 10 per cent of the entire income? Do they expect the Senate President to share everything without deducting service charges, including the cost of fuelling his exotic vehicles to Aso Rock?

It is hypocritical for the lawmakers or anybody for that matter to condemn Akpabio when many public servants do worst things while clutching their Bible or Koran. Look at the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. The day the Department of State Services (DSS) brought him to court, he was clutching an oversized Bible. And that was after committing a serious sin called illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. After his failed cashless policy plot against the ruling party in the last election, he knew his cup was full. The best way he thought of defending himself against any attack was to acquire a single barrel short gun without licence. If he had emulated the notorious Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, by acquiring more sophisticated weapons, the DSS would have been afraid to arrest him. Thank God for his eventual arrest and arraignment.

Thank God also for the probe into the alleged job racketeering at the Federal Character Commission (FCC). One Haruna Kolo, a former employee of the FCC, alleged that job seekers paid between N1million and N1.5 million each into his personal account for onward transmission to the Chairperson of the FCC, Mrs Muheeba Dankaka. To avoid any trace, Kolo said Mrs Dankaka insisted on cash only; that she later compensated him and three others with a job at the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON). Mrs Dankaka claimed that Mr Kolo and others forged her signature to give employment to people without her approval. An ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives is probing the matter as well as other job racketeering allegations at ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The problem with Nigeria is that the small fry are the ones who get roasted in these perennial probes of a thing. If the Reps go deeper, they will likely discover that the sin committed in the FCC is a minor one. They may find out that the Customs, Immigration, Police, Civil Defence, and many other MDAs may have committed deadlier sins.

That is why nobody should blame Akpabio. He did not initiate corruption in Nigeria. And corruption will not end with him. Was he the cause of our serial failures in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index? Are most of the newly appointed ministers better than him? Does his token equate to the late Head of State, Sani Abacha’s loot?

We should rather appreciate this man who lessens the burden of the poor in a unique way. Knowing that laughter heals, he recently presented a motion to halt planned electricity tariff hike in the country by humorously saying, “Let the poor breathe.” Senator Akintunde Abiodun, who represents Oyo senatorial district in the Senate, first made that statement while speaking on the motion at the plenary on July 26, 2023. But Akpabio’s enemies left him to descend on the Senate President, saying he was mocking the poor. The man had to clarify that he didn’t mean to insult the people because he was aware of the hardship in the country. The motive behind the motion, he said, was to reject any plan of increasing electricity tariffs for Nigerians, considering economic challenges Nigerians were faced with.

My happiness is that President Tinubu will not move against him. If not for anything, the President loves people who are pragmatic like him. He knows that paying tithe is a spiritual obligation we owe as public servants. He is aware that moving against Akpabio will affect many things, including the stability of the Senate and even that of the executive.

Our President also appreciates the fact that he who regularly pays his tithe gets a mansion in paradise. Akpabio’s permanent residence is already assured in the choicest part of our Abuja kingdom. He deserves the highest honour in our land; a 21-gun salute!

His enemies are merely throwing him to the wolves. They should go and read Psalm 4:2. It says, “How long, you mortals, will you harden your hearts? How long will you delight in deceit? How long will you love what is false?” Let me console poor Nigerians with my own prayer token as contained in Psalm 4:7 and 8. It says, “Let them rejoice in their abundant wine and grain; you have given far more to me. I lie down, and at once I sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me rest in safety.” Amen!

Re: Dokubo and Oluomo will be useful in Niger

Dear Casy, Asari Dokubo, M.C Oluomo and their likes only “make mouth” when it comes to issues that concern the Igbo. Now that Nigeriens and their military are insulting and challenging our President Tinubu, let them rise up to the occasion and defend the president. The senate, dominated by Northern Muslims, rejected Tinubu’s deployment of military forces on Niger because the northerners have a sort of filial affinity with the people of Niger. Otherwise, the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led senate lacks the effrontery to reject any letter or request from President Tinubu. Akpabio just didn’t want to incur the wrath of northern senators. During Buhari’s regime, how many times did the senate reject Buhari’s request for the deployment of soldiers to the South-east? Not even once; rather they supported President Buhari for the number of times the military pythons danced in the South-east. It shows that the north has many things in common with Niger than the South-east even when we claim to be one country.

-Ifeanyi, Owerri, +234 806 156 2735

Dear Casy, Messrs Oluomo and Asari Dokubo are goons serving the dirty political, economic and associated financial interests of their pay-masters who, unfortunately, masquerade as ‘leaders’ to the detriment of the poor, helpless masses of this country, Nigeria. Sending the duo to serve the foreign interests of their Principal, with Niger Republic and their current travail as case-study, would, inadvertently, amount to sending them to Golgotha. We thank God that some few members of the National Assembly, whose mental cavities are still intact, after weighing the implications of military intervention as put forward to them by the Aso Rock Chief, put their foot down and threw the military intervention option into the trash bin. After all, it is proverbially said that someone who is externally seen to be strong but, internally seen to be limping, should not, out of unbridled self-estimation, go and carry another limping person on his back. That would be thoughtlessly suicidal.

-Steve Okoye, Awka, 08036630731.

Casmir, Tinubu is not the ‘right’ kind of leader to send emissaries to Niger to resolve the conflict! Why? He lacks the ‘temperament’ of a leader that is needed to resolve such a big conflict! He is deficient in ‘moral appeals’ sequel to his unattractive brand of democracy which is a ‘hard sell’ in Africa! He should stop pontificating to Tchiani on the way forward. Here is someone who imposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket both at the executive arm of government and at the party level. For selfish reasons, he ignores the constitutional demand of federal character! Hence, it is largely hypocritical of Tinubu to evangelize to a sovereign country on the type of system that suits them per season! ECOWAS is not Economic Community of ‘Democratic’ West African States. It was set up primarily for the ‘economic’ growth of West African states. Tinubu, rather than practise the 3 C’s principles of conflict resolution by consulting, consolidating before  confronting, started by confronting Tchiani and later consulted and now ‘consolidated- consultation’.

-Mike, Mushin, +234 816 111 4572

Casmir, APC government in its 8 years has brought a lot of crises to Nigeria.

This is evident in every facet of the economy. Insecurity, poverty, health challenges, low productivity, workers protest due to poor remunerations , high cost of petrol, electricity, corruption, brigandage, lawlessness are today the esteemed landmarks of APC government. Most people who are supposed to be in prison are made to enjoy first-class treatment because they are close to the corridors of power. Today, government is not in control of security, many locations in the North, economy and one wonders how the government hopes to control the crises that may rise from plunging into another nation crises.

Nigeria cannot survive going to war with Niger because the government under Tinubu pretends to legitimize his illegitimate government.

-Pharmacist Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922

I love your page. Dokubo and Oluomo should go and fight. You made my day. Failed nation and a failed president! Thanks.
-Anonymous, +234 806 254 2815

•Also published in the Daily Sun of Monday, August 14, 2023

Dokubo and Oluomo will be useful in Niger

By Casmir Igbokwe

I felt insulted when I saw the video of how the people of Niger Republic denigrated our President, Bola Tinubu. The insolent crowd displayed a banner with pictures of our President on a car, poking fun at him. Even his first name, Bola, was changed to Ebola.

Nigeria should not tolerate this insult. We desperately need the services of the former Niger Delta agitator, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, and the Lagos State Parks Management Committee Chairman, Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya also known as MC Oluomo. President Tinubu should contract them to send their boys to Niger to teach this tiny country a lesson. This has become more necessary now that the Senate has denied the President the support to deploy troops in Niger. Obviously, Dokubo has shown that he has the capacity to engage in any fight, no matter how tough. After all, it is not a crime to engage mercenaries to fight your enemies. That is what the Wagner Group in Russia does for a living. Niger military rulers have even asked for help from this group against the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) planned intervention.

No doubt, many Nigeriens are angry over the role of Nigeria in the planned invasion of their country by ECOWAS forces. Tinubu is the current Chairman of ECOWAS. Following the coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger on July 26, 2023, ECOWAS leaders met in Abuja and resolved to impose sanctions on Niger. They gave the military regime led by Abdourahmane Tchiani up to Sunday, August 6, to restore the ousted President or face military action. Nigerien soldiers have turned a deaf ear to this warning. They dared ECOWAS forces to do their worst. And they are emboldened by the support of fellow military regimes in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.

These Niger soldiers have failed to realize that Tinubu is a dogged fighter. That is why, despite warnings by well meaning individuals and groups against military intervention in Niger, the President wrote to the Senate, seeking support for “military buildup and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.” He said his government would embark on sensitization of Nigerians and Nigeriens on the imperative of his planned actions, particularly through the social media.

Unfortunately, the majority of Nigerians are against this military action. They believe our soldiers are stretched and have been fighting on different fronts. The insurgency in the North is there. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. Millions of others have been displaced from their homes. The menace of known and unknown gunmen has not abated in the South-East. The evil exploits of bandits and kidnappers in different parts of the country are still a source of worry.

There are other existential problems that have brought our country to its knees. Chief among them is poverty and hunger. Over 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor. Unemployment is a serious problem. Many of those who have jobs cannot afford the basic necessities of life because their take-home pay hardly takes them home. These people need food more than war. They need better jobs. They need adequate palliatives, as the sudden removal of fuel subsidy has catapulted the cost of living to an unbearable level. Our debt profile has ballooned to over N70 trillion. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on protests last week. It has threatened to go on strike soon if its demand for better welfare for workers, among others, is not met. Simply put, Nigeria cannot afford to engage in any type of war now.

This is where people like Dokubo and Oluomo come in. Dokubo, for those who do not know him, is an Ijaw warlord. He is also a close friend of our President. I got to know him in the late 90s when I was a correspondent of TheNews magazine in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Then, he and some other Niger Delta militants were fighting for resource control. At some point, they went underground and started destroying oil pipelines. Many soldiers sent to engage them met their Waterloo.

What the militants had going for them was their perceived extraordinary spiritual powers anchored on Egbesu, a deity of the Ijaw people. The belief is that bullets don’t kill Egbesu adherents. It was not until the late President Umaru Yar’Adua set up amnesty programme for militants that some sanity prevailed in the Niger Delta. They surrendered their weapons and embraced peace.

Today, Asari Dokubo is engaged in war of a different hue. He is ready to defend Tinubu and his legacies at all costs. Last June, the President invited him to the seat of power in Abuja. At a press conference he later addressed in Aso Rock, Dokubo denigrated our military and accused them of being behind 99 per cent of oil theft in the country. He also boasted of his capabilities and volunteered to use his boys to assist in halting the menace of oil theft.

When rumours to truncate the inauguration of Tinubu as President on May 29, 2023, were rife, the Ijaw warlord sent his boys to Abuja to confront whoever dared to stop the inauguration. Even the last NLC protest in Abuja was distasteful to him. His boys reportedly moved in to do counter protest. The governor of Rivers State, Siminalaye Fubara, is not spared. Dokubo threatened him the other day, saying a clash between him and Fubara would make Boko Haram attacks in the North-East a child’s play. How can we have this type of superman in Nigeria and a tiny Niger will be insulting our President anyhow?

Was it not former President Olusegun Obasanjo who once advocated using our juju to deal with South Africa in the heyday of apartheid? Since we have a man who has supernatural powers like Dokubo, we should not waste time to deploy him and his men.

The Ijaw warlord can be assisted by Oluomo, another good friend of our President. During the last general election, Oluomo did a good job for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He threatened Igbo in Lagos who would not vote for the APC, to stay at home and not venture coming out to vote. With the help of his own boys, he succeeded in isolating some of the strongholds of the opposition Labour Party and stopped many of its supporters from voting. Some were attacked and seriously wounded. Until date, nothing has happened to MC Oluomo. Such a man has the capacity to deal with these Niger people.

Tinubu must send a clear message to our Senate that failed to approve his letter for the invasion of Niger through Dokubo and Oluomo. The Senators must be told in clear terms that lily-livered people don’t win war or political power. None of these two things is served à la carte, as our President would say. The soldiers in Niger snatched power from Bazoum and ran with it. We must snatch it back from them and return it to Bazoum. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.  Those who claim that Tinubu also snatched power in the February 25 presidential election are just being mischievous!

Re: The trials of Justice Ariwoola

Dear Casy, there may not be presidential aspirants in 2027 unless the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Court does the needful by upholding justice no matter whose ox is gored. What will be the need contesting against Tinubu in 2027 when he must have consolidated on power by appointing the service chiefs, the Independent National Electoral Commission chair, the Chief Justice of Nigeria etc of his choice who will definitely do his bidding? The current judges we have should take a cue from the late Justice Garba Nabaruma-led election tribunal who declared Peter Obi as the duly elected governor of Anambra State in late 2005 before the Court of Appeal finally affirmed the judgment on March 16, 2006. Before Peter Obi v Chris Ngige case, no governor had ever been removed through the tribunal in the history of Nigeria. After Peter Obi, many governors had come to office through the courts. Such a precedent should be set for the Nigerian presidency. The ongoing presidential litigation is the most appropriate time for it to happen in the life of this country. The current Justices handling various election cases should emulate Justice Garba Nabaruma’s courage. Heaven will not fall now since it didn’t fall in 2006.

-Ifeanyi, Owerri, +234 806 156 2735

Casmir, the maxim “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” is true, vis-a-vis the present position of Justice Ariwoola! As the CJN, he is undoubtedly, on the ‘hot seat’! Along with other justices, they would ultimately, decide who among the trio of Tinubu, Atiku and Obi fulfilled the constitutional requirements as the worthy, authentic, true winner of the February 25th presidential elections. Justice Ariwoola’s influential, commanding and decisive position exposes him to the corrupt and ‘intimidating tendencies’ of desperate politicians who lack any iota of scruple as they tend to ‘pervert the course of Justice in their favour’. The pre (“presidency is my lifelong ambition”) and post election statements (“to avoid anarchy, don’t remove me from office, because, I didn’t score 25% in FCT, Abuja”) of Tinubu, has brought even more pressure on the CJN who is now a ‘gold fish’ with no hiding place as he is being closely monitored by Nigerians and non Nigerians alike! Ariwoola must play his role very well with the fear of God and according to the dictates of his conscience. ‘Carrots’ would be dangled before him, duress would be applied, but, he must go after carving his name in gold!

-Mike, Mushin, Lagos, +234 816 111 4572

Casmir, the beauty of democracy is the freedom of the three arms of government, namely the executive, legislature and judiciary. In any advanced democracy, each of these arms works fearlessly to ensure the maximum benefits. In such democracies, the appointment of the occupants of each arm is based on merit. There is no godfatherism, ethnicity or religious bias. That’s why there’s a full commitment to the rule of law. Unfortunately, in a democracy that is saturated by mediocrity, the independence of these three arms becomes a great miracle. In a country like Nigeria, godfatherism, ethnicity, religious bias form the basis for occupiers of these arms of government. This practice has adulterated the democracy we have. It has also made the occupants of these arms of government unaccountable to anyone except their godfathers. The trials of Justice Ariwoola are indicators to those morbid fears of the electorate originating from absence of trust in judiciary. The CJN and his colleagues have every chance to prove everyone wrong by doing the right thing so that posterity will be on their side.

-Pharmacist Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922

Lately, all has not been well regarding the very ugly perception of the Judiciary by the Nigerian people. There exist some of the  very worrisome decisions of the Supreme Court that have continually left many agitated minds in utter shock and disbelief till this day. Usually, under the guise of technicality which should now not have any place in the world of substantive justice, the Supreme Court has more often than not sidelined justice and hidden under the cloak of the following ”that the issues raised by the opposition lack merit and hereby dismissed.”

-Edet Essien Esq. +234 810 809 5633

•Also published in the Daily Sun of Monday, August 7, 2023

With ministers like Wike and el-Rufai…

Casmir Igbokwe

From all indications, Nigeria appears to be cursed. Since independence in 1960, the country has been dining with misfortunes. And Since Bola Tinubu was sworn in as President on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have suffered greatly from his cancerous policies. On Thursday, July 27, 2023, almost two months after his inauguration, Tinubu came out with a list of 28 ministerial nominees that is at best, uninspiring, unexciting and depressing.

Take one of the nominees, Mr Nyesom Wike, for example. This man started his major political career as Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. He has been hovering around the corridors of power afterwards. He was Minister of State for Education. And he is the immediate past governor of Rivers State. But, being old in politics and governance has not made Wike to taste better like old wine. He is cantankerous, quarrelsome and untrustworthy.

There is a trending video where he vowed never to be a minister. There is another one where he likened the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to malaria and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cancer. He said he would rather remain and fight his battles in the malaria called the PDP than joining the deadly cancer known as the APC. But, because he lost the bid to be the Presidential candidate of the PDP, he started working against his party without resigning. He led a group of disgruntled elements called the G5 Governors. Out of the so-called G5, only Seyi Makinde of Oyo State retained his position as governor. The rest – former governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State – have been blown into political irrelevance. Their tenure as governors had expired and they could not win the senatorial seats they contested for.

Wike has been surreptitiously working for the APC. Initially, during the campaign for the presidential election, he appeared to be discreetly supporting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi. But when it looked like Obi was not forthcoming with promises of some rewards, Wike started speaking from both sides of the mouth. He said he would announce his presidential candidate and openly campaign for him. He never did. Rather, he started working underground for Tinubu. The February 25 presidential election in Rivers State was the most contentious in the country. Thuggery, mutilation of election result sheets and all manner of criminality reigned supreme. To the utmost dismay of most observers, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Tinubu winner in Rivers State. Wike was to come out later to say, cheekily though, that Obi was the hero of the election. That is the character Tinubu has nominated as a minister. Talk of a fine reward for a job well done! Crooked politicians!

Nasir el-Rufai is even worse. He is the immediate past governor of Kaduna State. He was also a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2003 and 2007. His stints both as minister and governor were highly contentious. Under him as governor, Kaduna sank deeper into ethno-religious crisis. Fulani militia murdered thousands of innocent citizens of Southern Kaduna with impunity and rendered many others homeless.

As a religious bigot, el-Rufai went against the tradition in his state and picked a fellow Muslim as deputy without caring about the feelings of Christians. He also gave major appointments to Muslims. In a viral video last June, he told some Islamic clerics in the presence of his successor, Uba Sani, that the Muslim-Muslim ticket in Kaduna State governorship election would be sustained for over 20 years. According to him, the same Muslim-Muslim ticket has been replicated at the national level and that Tinubu’s victory has silenced the Christian Association of Nigeria. He had also said, in an old trending video, that he was a minister at 43 and thus, it would be unfair for him to return as minister 20 years after.

In his book, “My Watch”, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said his vivid recollection of el-Rufai “is penchant for lying, for unfair embellishment of stories and his inability to sustain loyalty for long.” He added that he had little or no regard for integrity. No doubt, el-Rufai does not deserve to be a minister, or get close to the corridors of power anymore. But here we are, faced with the prospect of having him again as minister.

The immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, is another case study in political doublespeak. He started romancing the APC while he was still in the PDP. A number of people described him at some point as having a PDP body and an APC soul. He vehemently denied this epithet. As he put it in July 2018, “I have always insisted in character. People that jump from one party to the other should examine their characters, except if there is any problem within your party. As for today, till tomorrow until Christ comes, there is no crisis in PDP. Even if there is a need for me to leave PDP, I can never leave PDP to the kind of APC in Ebonyi State because with the kind of leaders in Ebonyi APC, leaders that have failed Ebonyi State, I can never be on the same political platform with them.”

In 2020, Umahi finally dumped the opposition party for the ruling party. He apparently switched camp to achieve his ambition of being President. When he didn’t get that, he contested for the senate and won. Now that he has been nominated a minister, he has to relinquish his senatorial position.

As for the other nominees, this space will not be enough to dissect them one by one. One of the female nominees, Stella Okotete, is even said to be under investigation for alleged fraud. Another nominee, Senator Sani Danladi, is reported to have been barred in 2019 by the Supreme Court from holding office for 10 years over certificate forgery and age falsification. He has denied this though.

Obviously, a President hardly succeeds without a quality cabinet. Such quality cabinet should comprise a mixture of technocrats, brilliant minds and sound politicians. Obasanjo came close to having such cabinet during his tenure. Many of the present ministerial nominees do not have the wherewithal to fight corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with the seriousness it deserves. I don’t see them effectively tackling the high rate of unemployment, poverty and hunger in the land. They may not also proffer lasting solutions to the spate of insecurity ravaging the country. Nor do I see them salvaging our vital sectors like education and health. With ministers like Wike, el-Rufai et al, Nigerians don’t need any soothsayer to tell them that the country is headed for Golgotha.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Tinubu only fought to acquire power. He is not ready for serious governance. My prayer and that of many Nigerians is that the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) should hasten up its work so Nigerians know who their legitimate leaders are. They need to put this traumatic period behind them.