By IPIGANSI OKUMO

There are men whose lives outlive their years because they choose to build for humanity rather than for themselves. Oronto Natei Douglas, popularly known as OND, one of Nigeria’s finest environmentalists, political activists and named among the world’s most influential writers and thinkers, was one of such rare Nigerians. Oronto transited to ancestorhood on April 9, 2015.

During Oronto’s funeral, countless tributes and orations pour in from all corners of the world. However, there is something deeply troubling about a society that gathers eloquently to bury its heroes, makes loud promises in moments of grief, and then quietly abandons both the promises and the legacies of the dead.

Eleven years after his transition, the memory of Oronto remains vivid in the hearts of those who knew him, worked with him, and benefited from his uncommon commitment to justice, education, and the advancement of society. Yet, beyond the glowing tributes and annual memorials, a more troubling reality now confronts us: many of Oronto’s greatest legacies are quietly dying.

For Oronto, education was not an afterthought or charity; it was civilization and central to his philosophy of development. He firmly believed that one of the surest pathways to human development, community transformation, and national progress was to build minds through access to knowledge and not monuments of ego. It was this conviction that inspired him to invest heavily in libraries, schools, books, and learning infrastructure across Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta.

Across several states, Oronto built and equipped libraries for public use. From the Chief Melford Okilo Library in Ogbia Town, to the Goodluck Jonathan Library in Okoroba, the Prof. Bruce Powell Library at the Federal University Otuoke, the Prof. C.T.I. Odu Library in Twon Brass, the Obafemi Awolowo Library in Irele-Ikole Ekiti, and others stretching to Delta, Ebonyi, Ogun, and Akwa Ibom States, his footprints in the educational sector remain extraordinary. These were carefully designed knowledge institutions intended to serve generations.

Perhaps the most symbolic of these interventions was his decision to convert his only personal building in Yenagoa into a public library in honour of Professor Ebiegberi Joe Alagoa, one of Nigeria’s foremost historians. In a country where public officials often convert public wealth into private estates, Oronto did the exact opposite.

That singular act captured the essence of Oronto’s life: sacrifice, vision, and commitment to public good and posterity. For me, this is one of the finest demonstrations of intellectual patriotism in contemporary Nigeria I have ever seen in my life.

The library was not an ordinary reading room. It was a modern knowledge hub equipped with laptops, desktop computers, e-readers, thousands of physical books, and tens of thousands of digital materials, including journals, videos, and over 60,000 e-books. It was a sanctuary for young minds, researchers, students, and members of the public seeking enlightenment.

Sadly, today, this once-thriving monument of learning is no longer functional.

The reason is painfully simple: there is no sustainable institutional support to keep it alive. This is the tragedy of our time. In a society where public resources are often wasted on vanity projects, institutions built by one man for the collective good are being left to decay. A dead library is a silent betrayal of the vision of the man who built it.

Even more heartbreaking is the fact that several of Oronto’s other educational legacies have also slipped into desolation. The Chief Melford Okilo Library in Ogbia Town and the E. K. Clark Preparatory School in Okoroba are among the noble projects now struggling under the weight of neglect.

A society that allows the legacies of its heroes to rot sends a dangerous message to the living: that sacrifice does not matter, that service is forgotten, and that public good has no protectors. This must not continue.

Government at all levels, especially the Bayelsa State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the interventionist agencies operating in the Niger Delta, must rise to the responsibility of preserving these monuments of knowledge. Reviving these libraries and educational institutions should not be seen as a favour to Oronto’s memory alone; it should be seen as an investment in the future of our children, our communities, and our region.

Well-meaning individuals, alumni associations, multinational corporations operating in the Niger Delta, and philanthropic organizations should also see this as a worthy cause. The cost of rehabilitating these centres of learning is insignificant compared to the long-term value they offer to society.

To the administration of Ogbia Local Government Area in particular, this clarion call should serve as a solemn reminder of the urgent responsibility to revive the Chief Melford Obiene Okilo Library built by Oronto Natei Douglas. Beyond its educational value, this library occupies a uniquely symbolic place in the history of our beloved and great Ogbia Kingdom, as it remains the only known public project within Ogbia Local Government Area specifically established to honour the memory and enduring legacy of our beloved father in Ogbia, His Excellency, Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo of blessed memory.

Allowing such a singular monument to decay and rot away would amount to an unfortunate erosion of our collective history and identity. Its restoration, therefore, is not merely a rehabilitation of infrastructure, but a sacred duty to preserve the name, memory, and contributions of one of Ogbia’s great sons and heroes for present and future generations.

Oronto Douglas gave his intellect, his resources, his voice, and ultimately his life to the struggle for a better Niger Delta and a more just Nigeria. The least society can do is ensure that the kids school project, libraries, and opportunities he built for others do not die with him.

In this regard, I will want to use this medium to call on the Bayelsa State Government to fulfil her promise of taking over the funding and management of the E.K Clark Preparatory School, which Oronto built for children in his native home of Okoroba, to ensure continuity of this noble educational intervention.

Equally deserving of urgent attention is the unfulfilled pledge by the Bayelsa State Government to award scholarships to Oronto’s two children — a promise made during his funeral rites but yet to materialize eleven years after. The scholarship for his children should not be treated as charity. It is a matter of honour, credibility, and respect for public work. Such commitments should not be allowed to disappear into the fog of official forgetfulness.

The Bayelsa State Government must be reminded that public promises are not funeral rhetoric. They are moral contracts with history. Indeed, the continued failure to fulfil this promise diminishes the moral authority of government pronouncements and weakens public trust in official commitments.

The Bayelsa State Government should, without any further delay, immediately institute fully funded scholarships for Oronto’s children up to the highest level of education they desire, in keeping with the original promise made before the people of Bayelsa and Nigerians.

Additionally, it will even be more beneficial to Baylesans and even a greater credit to the present administration of the Bayelsa State Government if all the libraries OND established in Bayelsa are taken over and rehabilitated for public use.

Last year, following the series of my memorial articles, the NDDC commendably honoured Oronto Douglas with a posthumous recognition. While that gesture was appreciated, honour must go beyond plaques and ceremonies. Memorial plaques and citations alone cannot adequately honour a man whose life was devoted to building futures. The most meaningful tribute to Oronto is to keep alive the institutions he built to empower others.

NDDC should therefore deepen that recognition by establishing a special scholarship scheme in Oronto Douglas’ name, beginning with support for his children and extending it to brilliant but indigent students across the Niger Delta who embody the values of intellectual excellence, courage, and service that Oronto represented. That would be a living tribute. That would align with the very ideals Oronto fought for. That would transform remembrance into impact.

The NDDC must also seize this moment as an opportunity for strategic intervention by partnering with the governments of Bayelsa and other beneficiary states to rehabilitate and sustain the libraries established by Oronto Douglas across the region. At a time when the Niger Delta continues to grapple with youth restiveness, unemployment, social disillusionment, and the lingering scars of conflict, the restoration of these centres of learning can serve as a powerful instrument for peace building and community development.

Libraries are more than buildings filled with books; they are safe civic spaces where young people can access knowledge, develop skills, broaden their horizons, and redirect their energies toward productive and innovative pursuits. Reviving these institutions would not only preserve Oronto’s educational vision but would also complement broader regional efforts to reduce crime, foster social inclusion, promote literacy, and strengthen the intellectual foundation upon which lasting peace and sustainable development can be built in the Niger Delta.

The labour of our past heroes must be preserved not merely for sentiment, but as a national ethic. When governments protect and sustain the legacies of men like Oronto Douglas, they inspire future generations to embrace service, integrity, and sacrifice.

If those who build for society know that their efforts will outlive them and continue to serve humanity, more patriots will rise. But if society allows noble legacies to collapse into ruins, we discourage the very spirit of nation-building we desperately need.

This is why the revival of Oronto’s dying legacies is not just about memory; it is about values. It is about teaching our young people that greatness is not measured by wealth accumulated, but by impact sustained. It is about proving that in Nigeria, the works of visionaries can endure beyond their lifetimes. And above all, it is about ensuring that the light Oronto lit through education does not go out in our generation.

The time to act is now.

Let government, institutions, and good-spirited Nigerians come together to restore these fading monuments of knowledge, so that Oronto Douglas’ dream of advancing humanity through education can continue to live and breathe for the public good. For when we preserve the labour of our heroes past, we encourage others to walk the same noble path.

*Chief Okumo, an engineer is the chairman of the Ogbia Brotherhood Unity Branch, Abuja and Northern Nigeria.  He worked with Oronto Douglas for about two decades.

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She stated this at the interfaith Breaking of Fast (Iftar/ Lent) she held for women from across all sectors.

The First Lady explained that the message was a strong one about harmonious living and unity.

“Jesus said in the bible that He did not come to abolish the law but the laws Moses brought down from the mountain can be summarized in 2, love God and love one another.”

Senator Oluremi Tinubu drew from her nearly four-decade interfaith marriage to President Bola Tinubu to preach religious harmony.

She highlighted personal peaceful coexistence as a counter to insecurity and division, urging service with “excellence, compassion, and integrity.”

“Today, like I said, is indeed a great day. It is a day that God only made for us to gather together, and for women, first, from different backgrounds. Since the Ramadan fast was announced, and the Lenten season began together, it was like God was speaking to us as a nation.

“Recently, we know a lot of things have been going on and people are trying to target towards our religious beliefs… And we Nigerians, we know that most of the time that is not the case. Some of us are married to men of different faith, and we lived together among us for many years. Me, almost 40 years.

“And I can tell you, I cannot remember when both of us raised our voices at each other. Maybe not more than twice in the 40 years, I can tell you that. So we’ve been quite mature and respectful about that. And I believe that’s the best way to live together”.

Speaking on the theme of the lecture of the Interfaith Breaking of Fast, the First Lady challenged women in public roles.

“Most women in this room, either you have your own office, or your husband is in the public office… you as the wife has the role to play.”

She urged Nigerians to drop “entitlement”mentality.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu also stressed on the need to mentor youths.

“We all have a lot of work to do, especially for the young people. You have to mentor them… The old school is still modern… So we have the real intelligence to pass on to the next generation.”

Director at National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Ganiyat Adejoke Adesina-Uthman, tackled a “crisis of trust” in public office. Speaking on the topic: “Serving with Excellence, Compassion and Integrity in Public Life On excellence,” she stressed that integrity was non-negotiable.

“If you are lacking in integrity, then you are clearly a fraud… Your name and your character must be the same… Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”

Bishop Sally William Chinebu of Dominion Church International echoed the theme biblically.

“If we look at the life of our ultimate example, Jesus Christ… Think of these three factors, excellence, compassion and entireness… When women get up… they create unprecedented force.

“Excellence is not decided as a profession… With the excellence of Christ. Excellence without compassion is cold… He (Jesus) saw them, He felt for them… Compassion is not just a feeling.” “We are serving the Lord… May we all, by grace of God, be willing to serve our generation.”

The event was attended by former First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan; wife of the Vice-President, Hajia Nana Shettima; wife of former Vice President Hajia Namadi Sambo; wife of Senate President, Mrs Ekaette Akpabio; Mrs Fatima Tajudeen Abass; female National Assembly members, female judges, female ministers among very many others.

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Speaking on Thursday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TPI and Jade & Jaydens Services Limited, which will support the upcoming three-day Midterm Sectoral Review of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, TPI Director-General, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, lauded the president’s economic measures.

He highlighted that the removal of the petrol subsidy and the floating of the Naira had effectively ended the era in which state governments borrowed funds to cover payroll obligations.

“Before 2023, most state governors were borrowing money to pay salaries. Today, no state government is borrowing for that purpose. Instead, governors are embarking on massive infrastructure projects because they have significantly more resources at their disposal,” Adebayo said.

Describing Tinubu as a “statesman” rather than a “politician,” Adebayo argued that previous administrations, including those of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, often avoided these tough reforms due to political risks.

He said, in contrast, the current government had redirected funds from subsidized consumption into productive investments, creating a more sustainable fiscal environment for all tiers of government.

Dr. Mustapha Jibril, leader of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen Forum and chairman of Chanchaga Local Government in Niger State, noted that local administrators were witnessing the benefits of the reforms firsthand.

He acknowledged persistent challenges such as insecurity but said the federal government’s response had been encouraging.

James Williams, representing Jade & Jaydens Services, said the partnership with TPI was aimed at strengthening institutional credibility by documenting measurable outcomes, which he said would deepen democratic accountability and foster sustainable growth in Nigeria.

The three-year review is expected to comprehensively evaluate the impact of Tinubu’s policies across economic, infrastructural, and social sectors, while also highlighting areas for further reform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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The former leaders spoke at BSN’s 17th Founders’ Day Annual Lecture and Awards Ceremony, which concluded the organisation’s 60th anniversary celebration in Lagos.

Gowon, who is a patron of BSN, said that national renewal should begin with moral renewal, adding that moral renewal should be anchored on hearts transformed by God’s Word.

He described the Bible as light in darkness and hope in despair, noting its growing relevance amid moral decline, conflict and misinformation.

Gowon praised BSN’s Bible translation, distribution and literacy programmes, as well as its engagement with schools, security agencies, prisons and displaced communities.

He called for stronger partnerships and support for BSN’s future initiatives, including the proposed Bible House project.

In a goodwill message, Jonathan,  who is the chairman of the occasion, said that BSN had quietly but powerfully shaped Nigeria’s moral conscience through Bible translation and literacy promotion.

Represented by retired Lt.-Col. Paul Obi, Jonathan highlighted the recent translation of the Bible into Ogwe and Epie languages, pledging continued support to ensure their publication.

He said that faith-based institutions such as BSN had contributed significantly to national development by promoting integrity, compassion and justice.

Earlier, BSN Board Chairman, Bishop Timothy Banwo, said that the celebration was a reflection on lives touched, communities transformed and hope restored over decades.

According to Banwo, legacy is built through consistent service, courageous leadership and commitment to a better future.

Delivering the lecture, Pastor Poju Oyemade of the Covenant Christian Centre described BSN as a stabilising moral force, likening its work to salt preserving the  society.

Oyemade said that translating the Bible into indigenous languages would strengthen accountability, discipleship and ethical values.

He noted that BSN had translated the Bible into over 27 Nigerian languages, calling it one of the most impactful evangelism efforts in the country.

The event also featured  presentation of awards to individuals and organisations recognised by BSN  for service, integrity and commitment to humanity.

Source: NAN

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Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Turaki said that the visit was to introduce the new party leadership to Jonathan following their election at the National Convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.

Turaki described the former president’s response as “reassuring and very encouraging,” noting that Jonathan expressed a deep sense of obligation to the party.

“We have solicited, as usual, for his support, for his guidance, for his advice, as always.

“We have his assurance that he’s still a card-carrying member of the PDP; he’s still active, and will even be more active these days in the activities and affairs of the PDP.

“He has assured us that PDP has done everything for him that can be done to an individual, and that he still feels that he remains obligated to PDP.

“His remarks and statements are not only reassuring, but indeed they are very encouraging as we begin to prepare for elections; off-season elections in Ekiti and Osun this year and 2027 general elections,” Turaki said.

Turaki maintained that in spite of current internal crisis, the PDP remained the “most veritable platform” for winning elections in Nigeria.

“We still remain the leading opposition party in this country, and this new leadership of PDP is taking this party back to the people, who are the owners.

“In doing so there’s going to be level playing ground that’s going to be inclusivity. There will be no longer impunity and we are not going to allow people to take what does not belong to them,” he said.

Responding to questions regarding the Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, exclusion of the party’s candidate for the Ekiti election, Turaki insisted the party had fulfilled all statutory obligations.

He explained that while INEC monitored the primaries and provided portal passwords for data uploads, the commission later blocked the party’s access.

“We had done manual submission to INEC, which they collected. INEC, as a regulator, has the discretion to attend or refuse, but they honoured our notices, monitored our primaries, and wrote reports.

“As far as I am concerned, INEC has recognised this leadership,” Turaki said.

On the lingering crisis within the party and the potential for “political solutions” rather than protracted litigation, Turaki said that the PDP was open to reconciliation.

He said while he believed in reconciliation, it was not the party that took matters to the court, but they were in the court to defend the party.

“I am one of the advocates who believe that it is not every political disagreement you take to court. But we were the ones sued. We have an obligation to defend the party.

“Even after these matters are resolved by the courts, we will still come back. We are willing to carry along those who are loyal and show genuine remorse,” he said.

Turaki added that the leadership was ready to sit at a “roundtable” with all aggrieved members to move forward as “one big PDP family”.

Those at the meeting include former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana, and chairman of PDP South-South Caretaker Committee, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi.

Others are the National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja; National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong; and Deputy National Secretary, Richard Ihediwa.

The Turaki-led NWC had also met former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other leaders across the country.

Source: NAN

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27 officers were recently promoted from the rank of Brigadier General, one of whom, Brig.-Gen. Z.A. Saidu was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major General.

Among those decorated on Wednesday is the former Aide de Camp (ADC) to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Maj.-Gen. Ojogbane Adegbe, who is currently the Director of Foreign Liaison, Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA.

Adegbe was decorated by his former boss, former President Jonathan and supported by Adegbe’s wife.

Also decorated in the current Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, among others.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede and former Chiefs of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai and Faruk Yahaya, among other dignitaries.

In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt -Gen. Waidi Shaibu, charged newly promoted Major Generals to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism, strategic foresight and loyalty as they assume greater responsibilities in the Nigerian Army.

Shiabu said the promotion recognised years of sacrifice and merit, adding that the officers now occupy a tier where their decisions will directly shape national security outcomes.

He said the nation was confronted by evolving threats ranging from terrorism and banditry to other asymmetric challenges, which require adaptive thinking and reform-driven leadership.

Shaibu told the officers that their elevation demands a new level of commitment to strengthening operational efficiency across all theatres of operation.

“Our expectations are high. Our troops on the front lines must feel your leadership, and our citizens must feel the impact of your decisions,” he said.

The COAS reminded the generals that the Nigerian Army remains the cornerstone of national stability, adding that their loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief, the Constitution and the Nigerian people must remain unwavering.

He stressed the importance of exemplary conduct and urged them to deepen collaboration with sister services, intelligence agencies, paramilitary organisations and civilian stakeholders.

According to him, no single agency can tackle Nigeria’s complex security challenges alone.

Shaibu highlighted Nigeria’s responsibility in fostering stability across the West African sub-region, saying the Army must continue to support regional efforts to counter violent extremism and secure shared borders.

He encouraged officers who were not promoted to remain focused, adding that progression in the military is deliberate and based on merit, integrity and professionalism.

The Army chief commended families of the newly promoted generals for their silent sacrifices, saying that no officer succeeds alone.

He urged the officers to wear their new ranks with pride, embrace humility and commit to renewed service.

Shaibu expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his support of the Army and congratulated the officers on their elevation, wishing them success in their new command roles.

In his vote of thanks, one of the newly decorated officers, Maj.-Gen. Francis Omatai, expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving their promotion.

He described the elevation as both an honour and a renewed call to higher responsibility in service to the nation.

Omatai pledged the resolve of the newly decorated senior officers to recommit themselves to the service of the army and the nation at large.

Source: NAN

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‎‎Jonathan, who led the ECOWAS Observation Mission, said it was customary to update Nigeria’s leader on regional developments ahead of an expected meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State.

‎‎“In ECOWAS, when you return from such assignments, you brief your president so leaders get first-hand information,” Jonathan told State House correspondents after the meeting.

‎‎He said tallying of votes in Guinea-Bissau had been concluded and stressed that the winner of the election must be formally announced.

‎‎Jonathan stressed the urgent need for the regional bloc to prioritise dialogue with the military authorities to prevent instability and avoid the use of force.

‎‎“We’re not pushing out the military by force. People will die. ECOWAS should engage them. They know the right thing to do,” he said.

‎‎He called for the immediate release of the detained opposition candidate, Fernando Diaz, saying he committed no offence and never proclaimed himself winner.

‎‎“There was no reason to arrest him. He didn’t announce himself president. They should free him and announce the result,” Jonathan said.

‎‎Jonathan urged that the declared winner should be inaugurated if the military authorities agree, stating that Africa must move past frequent political crises.

‎‎“We are tired of negative stories. What happened was not a palace coup. It wasn’t even close. I described it as a ceremonial coup,” he added.

‎Jonathan had returned to Nigeria from Guinea-Bissau on Thursday evening after being briefly trapped by the incident.

‎‎Guinea-Bissau, with a population of about 2.2 million, had experienced recurrent coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago.

Source: NAN

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Jonathan spoke to newsmen on Friday in Abuja after returning from Guinea-Bissau where he was temporarily trapped in the country by orchestrated military coup announced by the sitting President, Umaro Mbalo.

“You know, since I left office, I have always been scared talking to the media. But in this particular case, I decided to speak to the media.

“First and foremost, to thank Nigerians for the show of empathy, the encouragement.

“Because while we were in Bissau, and this so-called coup happened, the information we got was that the whole country was agitated, young and old, irrespective of religious divides or political divides.

“I sincerely appreciate Nigerians, and I want them to hear directly from my mouth to appreciate their concern,” he said.

The former president also commended the interventions of President Bola Tinubu and his Ivorian counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, for his safe return to Nigeria.

He also clarified why he was brought back to the country by Ivorian airline.

“Secondly, to thank my president, President Tinubu, and the Ivorian President.

“Both presidents were to send aircrafts to lift us, but somehow you know Côte d’Ivoire, is closer to Guinea-Bissau.

“There’s always some relationship among the Francophones countries.

“They were able to penetrate their system to get a landing permit first before Nigeria could do that.

“So, the Ivorian aircraft was already on their way to pick us. So when we learned about the Nigerian aircraft, about leaving, we asked them not to bother.

“That is why you see the picture that I was brought by an Ivorian aircraft.

“So we thank the two presidents, President Quatarra, President Tinubu, and indeed thank Nigerians, young and old, for that,” Jonathan said.

The recent political instability in Guinea-Bissau, which left former President Jonathan temporarily stranded in the country, erupted just days after the West African nation held closely contested presidential and legislative elections on November 23.

Jonathan was in Bissau leading the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission to monitor the polls, which were initially reported to be peaceful and well-conducted.

The crisis began as the National Electoral Commission was preparing to announce the official results of the vote, expected to be a tight race between the incumbent, President Umaro Mbalo, and the main opposition candidate, Fernando Dias.

The turmoil escalated on November 26, when reports of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace and the National Electoral Commission headquarters surfaced in the capital, Bissau.

Shortly afterward, President Mbalo himself told various international news outlets that he had been deposed and arrested in a coup d’état, though he claimed that no force had been used against him.

Hours later, military officers calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order” appeared on state TV, announcing they had seized control and suspended all political institutions.

Amid the chaos, the safety of former President Jonathan and his delegation became a matter of national and regional concern.

Jonathan and his team returned safely to Nigeria on Thursday.

Source: NAN

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“Are reformer-rulers jinxed? Why do they often suffer the dire consequences of the misrule of their predecessors? Sultan Tuman Bay the Second, the Mamluk reformer-ruler of Egypt; Emperor Louis XVI, the reformist Bourbon ruler of France who got caught up in the French Revolution of 1789; Mikhail Gorbachev, the reformist but last hegemon of the USSR – and now Nigeria’s reformist President Bola Ahmed Tinubu! Like Tuman Bay, Louis XVI and Gorbachev were the last rulers of the empire they presided over, will Tinubu be the last ruler of Nigeria as we know it today?“

Are reformer-rulers jinxed?

I learnt at my “A” Level or Higher School Certificate (HSC) class at Ilesa Grammar School (1978) that it is the rulers who are minded to repair what their successors had ruined that often got caught up in the vortex of popular anger or revolution. They pay for the malevolence of others, despite the benevolence of their own heart. I learnt in the history of the rulers of Egypt called the Mamluks (who ruled between 1250 and 1517 AD) that the sultan who tried to reverse the empire’s decline through reforms, Al-Malik al-Ashraf Tuman Bay the 2nd (born: 1473; died: April 15, 1517), was the most maligned of all the Mamluk rulers, such that history recorded his name with the epithet “the much maligned sultan.” He reigned for less than one year: October 1516 – April 1517.

The trajectory of the Bourbon rulers of France’s “ancient regime” was not different: Emperor Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King (1638 – 1715), ruled with iron fists, ignoring the pains and suffering of his people. He was credited as saying it would hold during his reign. Let his successors take care of themselves! Of course, things held during his reign! But on his death-bed, this king was said to have admonished his heir with these words: “Do not follow the bad example which I have set you; I have often undertaken war too lightly and have sustained it for vanity. Do not imitate me, but be a peaceful prince, and may you apply yourself principally to the alleviation of the burdens of your subjects!” Incredible!

It is not today, then, that rulers started getting wiser after leaving office or on their way out of it; that they set bad examples, acting “do as I say and not as I do.”; or deliberately undertake war lightly, telling blatant and outright lies to justify it! Does that sound familiar? Iraq! Libya! Even our own Nigeria/Biafra civil war! The list is endless!

Louis XV, also known as Louis the Beloved (1710 – 1774), succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five. Historians generally criticise his reign as being mindlessly corrupt (Does that sound familiar?) and for emptying France’s treasury on wars and frivolities, such that his grandson and successor, Louis XVI, reportedly inherited “a kingdom on the brink of financial disaster and gravely in need of political reform, laying the foundation for the French Revolution” Familiar, not so? But he, too, like his predecessors, escaped the consequences of his ruinous leadership, which, however, caught up with Louis the XVI, the very emperor who tried to bring about reforms.

Louis XVI became the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution (1789). Historians record that this king tried to reform the French government in accordance with the Age of Enlightenment ideas. Though deemed as necessary, his reforms drew the ire of the nobility as it limited their powers; likewise, the masses protested his economic policies, which deregulated the grains market and led to an increase in the price of bread! Again, does that sound familiar?

The demand for bread was the rallying cry of the French masses as they marched against their king. Ebi n pa wa! We are hungry! What made matters worse was the insensitivity of Queen Marie Antoinette who taunted the protesters: “Why not demand for cake instead?”, she was reported as saying! In those days, cake was a delicacy reserved only for nobles. The revolutionists executed the king by guillotine on 21 January, 1793 and the queen nine months later on 16 October, 1793. Historians record the failures of Louis XVI as indecision and indecisiveness at critical moments. Also, his reforms came too little, too late. An impatient citizenry, long-suppressed, long-abused, long-oppressed, and having their back to the wall, needed far more than he was willing to give. And when he eventually showed the inclination to give more, they had already run out of patience and were baying for blood.

Mikhail Gorbachev suffered a similar fate in the now defunct USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic). His glasnost and perestroika were meant to institute reforms to address age-long grievances, but this, too, came too little, too late. As he opened the door a little, the people, seizing the initiative from him, went ahead to rend the Iron Curtain!

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Do rulers learn from history?

History teaches lessons! The people have a huge capacity for long-suffering. Rulers have a tendency to take the people for granted. Reforms usually arrive at the point when the people’s anger is at boiling point. And they often come too little, too late. Once the dam of anger bursts, it is seldom possible to stem the catastrophe that flows out of it.

German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, says: “The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history”. Aldous Huxley puts it a little bit differently: “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history”. This exposes what has been referred to as “humanity’s tragic cycle”, which is the repetition of errors through forgetfulness or wilful arrogance. “History teaches; yet, we hardly listen”, says another. And as the Spanish philosopher and essayist, George Santayana, posits, those who fail to learn from history are often condemned to repeating it.

Let President Tinubu engage with President Trump and make a strong commitment to arrest the gale of genocide in the country.

If US President Donald Trump makes good his promise to invade Nigeria, would he have learnt anything from history? And if Nigeria allows any such invasion to happen, would it also have learnt useful lessons from history? Trump has not categorically said he will invade – like Russia invaded Ukraine and Trump is angry with that! He has only said IF the Nigerian government allows the killing of Christians to continue and does nothing to stop it, then… However, Trump is a master of ambivalence; moreover, he has already put his country’s military on alert. “If we invade…”, he said. That is ominous enough, especially for a president that changed his country’s Ministry of Defence to Ministry of War. Trump is a hawk, not a dove. For effect, he added that no more warning will be given if and when he decides to strike.

Why will Trump invade Nigeria?

But what are Trump’s reasons? He alleged that there is ongoing genocide against Christians by Islamic fundamentalists in Nigeria and that the government is not doing enough to stop it. He also complained against the extra-judicial killing of Christians arising from allegations, often false, of blasphemy against Islam’s Prophet Muhammed and the Muslims holy book, the Quran. Is Trump correct? Yes! Christians are being killed in the North and other parts of the country by Islamist fundamentalists; one such atrocity took place in my home town of Owo (Ogho) on 5 June, 2022 at St. Francis Catholic Church where at least 42 worshippers were killed in cold blood by Islamist terrorists.

Trump is also correct that before the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the Federal Government as well as many of the state governments in the northern parts of the country turned a blind spot to these atrocities. Notable Islamic leaders, northern traditional authorities, politicians and opinion leaders have been loud in their silence against the genocide walloping the North right under their very nose. “All it takes for evil to triumph”, says British statesman, Edmund Burke, “is for good men to do nothing.” If there are good men left in the Muslim North, they have been complicit in the face of the genocide wiping out Christians and non-Fulani elements in the North/Middle Belt regions of the country.

Is Muslim/Muslim ticket the culprit?

The Muhammadu Buhari administration is widely believed to have actively and deliberately compromised the efforts of the gallant men and officers of the country’s military to end terrorist incursions in many parts of the country. It is only after the exit of Buhari and the coming of Tinubu that some efforts, even though tepid to many, began to be made to tackle terrorism.

So, it is an egregious fallacy to argue that it is the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Tinubu/Shettima that is SOLELY or MAINLY responsible for ongoing genocide in the North. On the contrary, it was under the Muslim/Christian ticket of Muhammadu Buhari/Pastor Yemi Osinbajo that genocide was birthed, berthed, nurtured, reared, groomed, unleashed, supported and defended. Ironically, it is the Muslim/Muslim ticket of Tinubu/Shettima that is doing something to reverse the ugly trend. Have they succeeded? Not quite! Fifth columnists, remnants of the Buharists inside and outside of government, and the Northern Muslim elites that are in bed with Islamic fundamentalism are cogs in the wheel of progress in the fight against terrorism.

Are Trump’s motives contrived?

“Read my hips” is a famous quip credited to the senior Bush and 41st US president, George H. W. Bush. Understanding Trump, however, may require reading more than his lips or hips.  Is it true that the maverick US president has other motives for wanting to invade Nigeria, with the genocide/blasphemy allegations being convenient excuses? Most probable! Learning from history, America does not go to war except it has core national interests to advance, preserve or protect. It also goes to war to grab resources or cut down immediate or potential threats to its world dominance. Or to satisfy the hubris or eccentricism of its leaders, especially hawkish ones like its 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Thus, it is the viewpoint of some Nigerians that the country’s romance with BRICS; support for Hamas/Iran – which was hare-brained, anyway; and we did say so then! – rejection of gay/lesbian laws as well as the attempt to offload unwanted criminals on us from the US, are the actual reasons for the threatened invasion. Others include: America is jealous and afraid of our potential! The Yankees covet our resources. Having predicted the disintegration of Nigeria to happen in 2015 and it did not, America now seeks to force its prediction on us wily-nily.

Plausible as some of these arguments may seem – and fearful of the outcome (violent regime change, with reverberating  consequences) of recent US interventions in countries such as Iraq (Saddam Hussein), and Libya (Moumar Ghaddafi) – the fact of ongoing genocide in Nigeria must neither be overlooked nor swept under the carpet.

Let President Tinubu engage with President Trump and make a strong commitment to arrest the gale of genocide in the country. Let the US help in this regard. Let political Sharia, which is at the roots of Islamist extremism in the North, be abrogated. Nigeria is not a religious state. It is a secular state. Regardless of the majority in any state, the minority has rights that must be protected. No state in Nigeria should lay claim to being a Muslim or Christian state. And there should be no appeasement of, or negotiation with, terrorists, who must all be brought to book! Fifth columnists impeding the war effort, whoever they are and wherever they are, must be fished out and demobilised. Otherwise…

*Bolawole (turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533), former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of the Westerner newsmagazine. He writes the “ON THE LORD’S DAY” column in the Sunday Tribune and “TREASURES” column in the New Telegraph newspapers. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.

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Raphael Lemkin reportedly coined the term “genocide” in 1944 while the United Nations established it as a crime under international law in 1948. The core element of genocide is “the specific intent to destroy a group, not just to harm it.” Such targeted groups are also defined by national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.

The 1948 UN Convention identifies five specific acts that are considered as acts of genocide once they are committed with genocidal intent. These are: Killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing on the group measures intended to prevent procreation or birth by the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

In every genocidal act, therefore, there are perpetrators on the one hand and victims on the other. In some instances, the government in power may itself be the perpetrators of genocidal acts against a section of its own population for any or a combination of racial, religious, cultural, political or economic reasons. The complicity – and/or duplicity – of governments supporting, perpetrating or perpetuating genocidal acts may be brazen or tacit. They may deny openly while supporting underneath. They may also divert attention to extraneous factors (e.g. poverty) or tone down what is happening in official narratives to, for example, farmer/herder clashes.

Religious riots and genocidal acts

The suffering of Nigerian Christians in the hands of their Muslim compatriots, especially in the northern parts of the country, is as old as the country itself. Simplistically referred to as religious riots, they have reared their ugly heads in virtually every major city of the North. For you to know how serious the matter is, this is what Google said when I asked the simple question of how many religious riots have been witnessed in northern Nigeria: “It is impossible to provide an exact, comprehensive number of all religious riots in Northern Nigeria, as many incidents have occurred over decades, often intertwined with ethnic and political conflicts, and not all have been formally catalogued or reported consistently. Instead of a single number, the situation is characterised by recurrent and widespread outbreaks of violence (Google’s own emphasis) that have varied in intensity and cause.” Google then went on to list a few of the religious riots to include the 1953 Kano riot (which is older than the country itself!), the Maitatsine uprisings of the 1980s, which occurred across many Northern Nigeria cities, including but not limited to Kano (1980), Kaduna (1982), Bulum-Ketu (1982), Jimeta (1984), and Gombe (1985).

Between 1980 and 1990, Google says “numerous clashes occurred in this period, such as those in Kafanchan (1987), Ilorin  and Jere (1989), Tafawa Balewa (1991), and Zango-Kataf (1992). These were often ethno-religious, involving conflicts between largely Christian ethnic minorities and Hausa/Fulani Muslims over land and political power.” Google adds that since the return to democracy in 1999, “the adoption of Sharia law in several (indeed, many) northern states (has) led to a significant increase in (religious) violence. Such violent acts include but are not limited to “the 2000 Kaduna riots (Sharia clashes), which killed thousands; the 2001 Jos riots where hundreds to thousands were killed; the 2002 Miss World riots in Kaduna, which caused over 200 deaths; the 2004 Yelwa massacre and subsequent reprisal attacks in Kano; the 2008 and 2010 Jos riots, both resulting in significant casualties.”

Not done yet, Google says the Boko Haram insurgency (since 2009),”while more of an armed rebellion and terrorist campaign than traditional riots, has generated widespread violence with religious motivations, leading to thousands of deaths and millions of displaced (persons) across the North-east and Middle-Belt regions.” Google adds that “the total number of such incidents is in the hundreds, with one report citing approximately 80 episodes of violent riots in Jos alone between 1999 and 2004. The ongoing nature of these conflicts, sometimes labelled as genocide by aid organisations and local leaders, means that violence persists.”

Note the word “genocide”! Well, if aid organisations, being largely foreigners or people not resident in the areas of conflict, do not know what they are saying, we should expect local leaders, who bear the brunt of the atrocities, to know what they suffer from. Who wears the shoe, as they say, knows where it pinches!

Note also that the Boko Haram and other insurgencies continue unabated in the North, with the terrorists/insurgents/bandits controlling swathes of territories now and again, according to the testimonies of governors, law makers, traditional rulers and other local leaders. And when this happens, the insurgents do not establish churches; instead, they raze them, proclaim Sharia and Islam and establish their fancied “Islamic Republic” over the areas so captured by them. Whether Boko Haram, ISWAP, Fulani herdsmen and bandits, they all proclaim Islam. None of them subscribe to or proclaim the Christian religion or ideology.

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Genocide and blasphemy

Nigerians are by now familiar with the horrific and horrendous killing of people, mainly Christians, non-Muslims or those who convert from Islam to Christianity, by Muslim hordes in the North, on the allegation of what they often describe as blasphemy against Islam’s Prophet Muhammed or the Quran. Again, I asked Google how many of such killings have taken place in the North. Flabbergasted, Google replied: “It is not possible to provide an exact number of persons killed for blasphemy in northern Nigeria, as data is not systematically collected and reported. However, there have been numerous documented instances of mob violence and extrajudicial killings in response to perceived blasphemy, often driven by religious extremism”

Recent examples of blasphemy killing listed by Google include that of Gideon Akaluka (Kano, 1994), beheaded with his spiked head paraded on the streets of Kano; Christiana Oluwatoyin Oluwaseesin (Gombe, 2007), falsely accused of tearing a Quran; a 50-year-old man (name unknown), in Kano, 2008; Christian traders (Niger state, 2016), who were burnt alive; Bridget Aghahime (Kano, 2016), a 74-year-old Christian trader beaten to death by a mob after a minor dispute was escalated into a blasphemy accusation; Eunice Elisha Olawale (Abuja, 2016), a female Christian preacher murdered by a mob while preaching in the morning near her home; Deborah Samuel Yakubu (Sokoto, 2022), a Christian student stoned to death and her body burnt by a mob of fellow Muslim students; Usman Buda (Sokoto, 2023), a butcher, stoned to death under circumstances similar to Yakubu’s; Ammaye (Niger state, 2025), even though a Muslim herself, was lynched and burnt to death after an exchange of words with a young man was interpreted as blasphemous; and Yunusa (Bauchi, 2025), killed by a mob in the Nasaru community allegedly for making blasphemous remarks.

Google concludes that, “In many of these cases, law enforcement was either overpowered by the mob or (they) hesitated to intervene, and perpetrators have often been discharged without trial, leading to a culture of impunity that perpetuates such violence.”

No fair hearing is given to anyone so accused; no opportunity to defend oneself is allowed; the accusers are the prosecutor, the judge, the jury, and the executioner! Once someone is accused of blasphemy, jungle justice is swift; the chances of escaping, even when one is innocent, are virtually non-existent. And in all the cases, perpetrated majorly against Christians, non-Muslims and converts from Islam, no appeal can be made to any authority for reprieve. On the issue of blasphemy, the entire Muslim North speaks, acts, and moves like one man! The surest road to untimely, sudden, tragic, and painful death in the Muslim North is to be accused, even if falsely, and even if premeditatedly, of blasphemy. None of the perpetrators of this heinous crime, often manipulated against Christians, is arrested or prosecuted. When they are arrested, a mob attacks and sets them free. In the few instances they have been taken to court, they are quickly discharged and allowed to roam the street freely!

Sometimes I wonder how non-Muslims live in the Muslim North! Twelve (12) states in the North, beginning with Zamfara, practice Sharia; these are: Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger and Gombe. The greatest disservice that retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo did this country as civilian president in 1999 was not to lift a finger when Zamfara led the Sharia states to establish what observers have dubbed political Sharia, which is used to befuddle hapless citizens, foment trouble, and blackmail and destabilise the country. Sharia is seen by many to apply mostly to poor Muslims while the powerful and well-connected Muslims ride roughshod over it.

Buhari’s legacy

From the above, the atrocities perpetrated in the name of religion predates Independence on October 1, 1960, and incidents of religious riots dot the entirety of the North’s landscape. Their entire territory drips with the blood of the innocent. Violence drapes their sky. But we have stomached it all this while! Why, then, the sudden outcry against what, ordinarily, has become part and parcel of our national life – our lot, which we have been forced to bear these many decades? It is because, blinded by the ambition to become our president, Muhammadu Buhari, after three failed attempts, became desperate. Thinking that the sitting president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, would not relinquish power, Buhari and his Fulani henchmen prepared for war. They imported Fulani terrorists from all over the world, armed them, and stationed them in locations all over the country. The wind, however, was taken off their sail when Jonathan conceded defeat without lifting a finger and without proddings from any quarters. Getting the terrorists to quit, however, became an issue. And once they had shown copy-cat Nigerians that taking to crime pays more than engaging in lawful activities, criminal ventures have since become a free-for-all.

As rightly stated by the Presidency, some are in this criminal venture for pecuniary gains, even if they camouflage their true intentions. There are the puritanical Muslims who want to establish a radical Islamic state. For such, Christians are the primary target; animists and moderate Muslims are not spared either. Those grabbing land may not be ascetic Muslims but their goal and those of the empire-builders converge in that the local population, mostly Christians, must first be extirpated before they can achieve their goal. So, Nigerian Christian leaders who insist that there is ongoing genocidal war against Christians in the North are correct. Westerner observers and governments who buy the genocide narrative can also not be faulted. But the genocide is targeted not only at Christians but also at other locals with the intention of taking over their land.

Conclusion

All the “five specific acts that are considered as acts of genocide once they are committed with genocidal intent” are prevalent in the North of the country today.  In other words, all the ingredients of genocide are complete in the malicious soup that Nigeria’s Muslim North has cooked since the unfortunate presidency of Buhari, beginning in 2015. And it is genocide on two fronts, not just one.  The first is the genocide being perpetrated by fundamentalist Islamic groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram, whose aim is to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state, first in the North and then all over the country. For these radical Islamists, Christians, traditionalists, animists and moderate Muslims not subscribing to their radical religious tenets are viewed the same way and must be wiped out. For them, moderate Muslims are as much an enemy – even worse enemies – than non-Muslims! And that is historical, both nationally and internationally. All over the world, Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims are sworn foes because of this. Radical Islamists loathe moderate Muslims. When Uthman dan Fodio began his jihad in 1804, other Muslims rulers and Muslim states were not spared. To justify their jihad, the Sokoto jihadists accused the Hausa states and their rulers of not being ascetic or puritanical enough, just as Boko Haram and ISWAP accuse other Muslims today to justify their own jihad. It is this killing of moderate Muslims in the North that has blind-folded and/or jaundiced the eyes of some to ignorantly or mischievously deny the genocide that is ongoing in the Muslim North. The second angle of ongoing genocide in the North is the one being perpetrated by Fulani herders, bandits and terrorists who have engaged in systematic ethnic cleansing of non-Fulani populations in the North (the Middle Belt inclusive) to seize their land and corner their resources. Such conquered territories are then renamed and resettled, with the conquerors taking possession while the conquered people are shipped away into IDP (Internally-Displaced Persons’) camps strewn all over the North. Yes, there were herder/farmer clashes in the past and there also were religious riots, but the ongoing genocide was started by Buhari and his henchmen for political-cum-religious reasons. The administration of incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited it – he did not create or start it. But whether his defence architecture, at the head of which perches Fulani Muslims, will deliver  Pax Nigeriana remains in the realm of conjectures. In the same vein, whether his appeasement policy, scantily-concealed with his recent reshuffle of Service chiefs, will succeed – when a similar appeasement policy of the Western powers towards Adolf Hitler ultimately failed with disastrous consequences – remains to be seen!

*Bolawole (turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533), former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of the Westerner newsmagazine. He writes the “ON THE LORD’S DAY” column in the Sunday Tribune and “TREASURES” column in the New Telegraph newspapers. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.

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