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OPINION: Can I Tell Our First Lady That Graduates Drive Cabs Here, Too?

Published

2 years ago

March 26, 2024

By Suyi Ayodele

My people have different social stratifications. One of them is a group of people they call olórí àpésín. That simply means those who chose destiny that makes people worship them. Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu numbers among that group. And when you are an olórí àpésín, you don’t feel what the common man feels. And olórí àpésín is like the proverbial child strapped to the mother’s back. He will never get to know how long the journey is. This is exactly Mrs. Tinubu’s fate. She has been strapped to her husband’s back for too long to know how long the journey has been for an average Nigerian, especially in these nine months of her husband in power.

Again, our first lady is not just an olórí àpésín. She is a lot more than that. Looking at her political, financial and social trajectories in the last 25 years, we can comfortably call her an obìrin tí a nfi orí è súre fún obìrin (a woman whose destiny we call upon as blessing to other women). When you are in that classification, reality is completely lost on you. No matter how people in that stratification struggle, they remain apathetic. When you see such persons, you don’t blame them when they are in their most insensitive mode. Rather, you pity them. And, in all honesty, Mrs. Tinubu, and everyone in her class among the pitiless Nigeria’s elite class, has my sympathy.

Last week, Mrs. Tinubu played host to three senators from her home state, Lagos. The trio of Senators Adetokunbo Abiru, Wasiu Eshinlokun Sanni and Ranti Idiat Adebule were in Aso Rock Villa on a courtesy visit to the First Lady. Just imagine how many lucky Nigerian women and housewives have the privilege of receiving in audience, three councillors from their wards. But here, three ‘Distinguished’ senators left whatever they were doing to go to the Presidential Villa to pay homage to the woman after the president’s heart. It was during that visit that Mrs. Tinubu spoke about our conditions. While Nigerians would not know what led to it, we all woke up to watch the video of that visit and what Madam Tinubu said. I hate to make guesses. But, here, I am tempted to think that probably, the three wise men asked Madam Excellency to help talk to her husband to do something about the agony in the land. Don’t take that to the bank, anyway. Then Mrs. Tinubu chose to respond by lashing out at Nigerians who travelled overseas to seek greener pastures and derided them for going abroad to do menial jobs they would not touch with a 10-foot pole in Nigeria.

This is what the wife of our president said: “Look at all those people saying they are going to Japa; they go there. What work are you going to do? You know, work that you refused to do at home where you have loved ones, you now end up to go and do there. With all their education, they’re driving cabs, but they won’t drive cabs here”. She called on Nigerians to help the “poor” among them but added that it is difficult to know the real poor as “…you don’t even know who are the poor. If they don’t ride a car, they will say they are poor. If you don’t have your own home, they will say they are poor.” The president’s wife agreed with the Scripture that “…in the Bible, we even talk about Jesus saying the poor you will always have in the land, and it’s for people whom God has blessed to help the poor.” The summary of her speech as relayed on the Arise TV later is a complete mockery of fellow Nigerians who would not be drivers here in Nigeria but would go to the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America and other European countries to go and do menial jobs.

Truth be told, Mrs. Tinubu is right. Yes, Nigerian graduates abroad are cab drivers. Many are caregivers, a euphemism for nannies to old people. Quite a huge number of them are into guard duties. We have those who are cleaners, shop attendants; human payloaders and everything else we can imagine! Many of these folks, and their spouses, hold postgraduate degrees from reputable Nigerian universities. Pity! Again, another truth from Mrs. Tinubu is that these Nigerians would never accept those menial crafts they do with all enthusiasm abroad back home in Nigeria. Truth is bitter. But that is where it ends for Mrs. Tinubu and those other elites with similar warped mentality.

I don’t know much about the activities of witches and their act and art – witchcraft. But I know a little bit of their categorisation. I know the female ones called Àjé (witches), and their male counterparts known as Osó (wizards). Àjé and Osó, are the mildest of the group. At times, they can be appeased. Their level of wickedness can also be curtailed and managed. Next to that class is the Olubi (purveyor of evil). This set ranks higher than Àjé or Osó in that you don’t have to offend an Olubi before she attacks you. These ones are simply not at home with their victims’ wellbeing, the generosity or kindness of the victims towards them notwithstanding. In fact, it is better not to show an Olubi any kindness than to seek to please her. The elder sibling of Olubi is Ofíndòdo. Those in this league combine wickedness with fury. They fight their victims without relenting. They are simply temperamental! And they don’t need any reason to strike. They are the sadists of the groupings. The worst of them all is what people in my locality call Ukòtò (Pit). Ukòtò does not fight her victims. She swallows them. She afflicts them with all manner of plagues. Ukòtò ruins her victims to no end. If for instance, a victim is taken to those who should know and they discover that he or she is under the affliction of an Ukòtò, the one consulted to help stylishly backs out. Why? Ukòtò gets angrier the moment an attempt is made to pacify her. Victims of an Ukòtò don’t get help; no antidote works for them. They are simply ruined for life except the cosmic intervenes on its own. Nigerians are at the mercy of Ukòtòs at the moment. Our leaders combine all the peculiarities of the aforementioned esoteric beings to afflict the citizenry. That is why they have no pity on us. They speak to us as if we don’t matter. And, really, we don’t matter to our leaders. Their hearts have been seared with hot iron; they have sold their souls to Hades. They are as cold-hearted, as they are dead to our pains. Nothing moves them. Nothing pricks their conscience.

A woman at the level of Mrs. Tinubu should have been more circumspect. But she can’t be because that is not the nature of people in her caste. Yes, Nigerians go abroad to work as cab drivers; a job they would not do in Nigeria. But, has Madam Tinubu asked herself where the roads for those Diasporan Nigerians to drive cabs in Nigeria are? If they elect to be drivers here, who guarantees their safety from kidnappers, killer-herdsmen, bandits and other criminals that have taken over our highways and local roads? Does it occur to our First Lady that many of those Nigerians driving cabs abroad were frustrated out of this country? The other time, I saw a video of a young lady, who left her banking job in one of the most prominent banks in Nigeria to pick up a cleaning job in the UK while also going to school there. I asked a friend who also left that same bank as a senior manager to take up a less paying job somewhere else in Nigeria, what the problem is with that particular bank. His response was that the problem cuts across the Nigerian banking industry. He explained that our banking industry is a place where you employ a young graduate and you give her unachievable targets. When such a marketer, mostly a beautiful lady, cannot go the “extra mile”, a sort of euphemism for “corporate prostitution”, she gets fired! He added that that is what is responsible for high staff turnover in most banks. What other options do those victims of the wicked corporate environment have other than to Japa (migrate) to go and do cab-driving (for the males), and cleaning or care-giving (for the females). The banks and other exploitative corporate bodies get away with all the inhuman treatments of their employees because the regulatory bodies saddled with the responsibilities of checking those excesses and near-second slavery treatments have been compromised. That in itself is a failure on the part of the government and that is where Mrs. Tinubu should direct her attention to rather than deriding Nigerians who travel out to do jobs that are below their qualifications. At a time in his life, Mrs. Tinubu’s husband also japed to God’s Own country, America, before he became somebody. So, what’s the fuss about?

It is convenient for the First Lady to talk the way she did because she would never be in the position of parents who laboured to train their children and wards in schools and those graduates stay at home for years without any job. Mrs. Tinubu’s children, I believe, have never had any reason to Japa, because they are either Abimbola (born with wealth), or Mobolanle (I met wealth at home). Her children will never think of going abroad to drive cabs because if they are not Iyaloja General of Nigeria, their husbands are chairmen of Boards of big government parastatals. When we talk about children born with silver spoons, Madam Tinubu’s children simply swallowed the silver spoon and the melting machine at birth. How would their mother not reason the way she did? Has it occurred to her that most parents, whose children are the cab drivers she referred to, are at pains seeing their medical doctor-trained children turn mere cab drivers? When was the last time Mrs. Tinubu took a cab in Nigeria? I have come across scores of Bolt cab drivers who are university graduates on the streets of Nigeria. So, I can conveniently tell Her Excellency that it is not true that Nigerian graduates are not cab drivers here. Some of them are dry cleaners, shoemakers, sales girls and boys in malls and other menial jobs. Most kiosks where the business of Point of Sales (POS) is carried out are owned and manned by graduates! Madam first lady should get on the street to know this fact!

Methinks our leaders need to think more deeply before they talk. Nothing is more painful for victims of Ukoto than to see the same people who put them in such terrible conditions laugh at them! Mrs. Tinubu’s husband was once a senator. He later became governor of Lagos State for eight years. For those eight years, Madam was the First Lady of Lagos. She had all the good things in life. At a time, the husband made her a senator and she occupied that position for another 12 years. In the last nine months, Mrs. Tinubu has occupied the unconstitutional office of the First Lady of Nigeria. A few months ago, she had the privilege of having the sum of N1.5 billion ‘voted’ to her office for cars and other sundry items. Everything she has enjoyed in the last 25 years is at the expense of our common patrimony. In the real sene of it, she an omo ijobo (government pikin)! She is the typical ant in a bowl of sugar (eera inu sugar); she can never understand that there is pain in the land. She lives in a fortress, secured by the State. When she ventures out of the Villa, she has a company of soldiers and other security agents attending to her safety. How would she know then that many of us recite Psalm 91 almost seven times before we dare travel from one location to another? She is a typical eni aye ye (the one life has favoured). The tendency for her to look down on others is high. I only hope she knows the full meaning of Atubotan (the hereafter). Vengeance will one day cry on all our leaders! Ise!

It is sad that Nigerians are being shipped daily abroad for second slavery. If our leaders, especially of this ruinous epoch, had done what is right, we would have no reason to travel to be slaves in the UK, Canada, or any other country for that matter. My late parents-in-law studied in the UK in the late 60s. My late mother-in-law told me that they did not wait for the results of their final examinations to be out before they sailed back to Nigeria. Why? Because Nigeria was good then. That was a period we had human beings as leaders; leaders who put the country first before selves. Those were leaders who never boasted of being richer than a state. Our situation became bad when locusts took over our political space. We are worse off now because we have Ukotos at the helm of our affairs. Witches and their siblings don’t normally fly in the daytime. However, the present ones in power hold courts in broad daylight. While the electioneering that brought Mrs. Tinubu and her husband to Aso Rock lasted, she told all of us that her family was too rich to be bothered about our treasury. Mrs. Tinubu knows how far her riches and those of her husband would go in solving the problems of our graduates going abroad to drive cabs! In her last week’s engagement, she referred us back to the Bible. She made a biblical allusion to the presence of the poor in our midst. I love that! Today is Tuesday. As a good Christian, and in the spirit of Bible study, permit me to commend Her Excellency to the injunction of our Lord Jesus Christ, who told one of the ‘righteous’ Pharisees thus: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in heaven; and come and follow me” (Matthew 19-21).

News

Lagos: Police Arrest 14 Suspected Traffic Robbers On Lekki-Epe Expressway

Published

3 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Fourteen persons suspected to be involved in traffic-related robbery have been arrested at various points along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos over the past two weeks.

The arrests were confirmed on Tuesday by the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, via a post on her official X handle, @AbimbolaShotayo.

According to her, operatives of the Command’s Tactical Squad based in Elemoro carried out the operations that led to the suspects’ apprehension.

She explained that the arrests followed sustained patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at curbing criminal activities associated with traffic congestion and improving the safety of motorists and other road users along the busy corridor.

Adebisi noted that the development reflects the Command’s determination to strengthen security and uphold law and order on the Lekki-Epe axis, adding that the Tactical Squad has continued to proactively identify crime-prone areas and respond swiftly to threats posed by criminal elements.

She called on residents and commuters to support police efforts by providing timely and credible information that could assist in preventing and detecting crime.

“Security is a shared responsibility. Members of the public are encouraged to stay alert and promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station,” she said.

The police spokesperson further reassured residents and road users of the Command’s commitment to maintaining aggressive patrols and security operations to protect lives and property in the area.

She reiterated the Command’s community policing message, “See Something, Say Something,” stressing the importance of cooperation between the police and the public in sustaining peace and security.

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OPINION: Don Pedro And Beautiful Benin

Published

6 hours ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

By Suyi Ayodele

A few years ago, a telecommunications outfit set out to erect a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) at the back of the palace of Oba of Benin. The coordinate fell on Alaka Street, directly behind the palace. Civil works commenced and completed without incident. The next phase involved assembling the tower components of the 75-metre mast. As the riggers worked, the structure began to take shape within hours. However, as the tower rose and became taller than any building in the surrounding area, trouble began.

A group of Benin Palace chiefs arrived and issued an immediate ‘stop work’ order. The riggers climbed down, and the company’s management intervened. Explaining the directive, the chiefs said that the height of the tower would enable anyone on the tower to see the inner recesses of the palace, especially the section where the Oba’s harem lives! They stressed that Benin custom and tradition would not permit such a situation. They noted that around the palace, expansive as it is, no structure is allowed to be taller than the palace itself. The development resulted in a stalemate.

The reigning Oba then, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, was contacted. The company pleaded with him to intervene. A diplomat par excellence, Oba Erediauwa listened to all the parties. He agreed with the submissions of his palace chiefs from the Ewebo and Ibiwe groups. Then, he also considered the economic, social and developmental effects of the telecommunications towers on the people of Benin, his subjects, and other residents.

Oba Erediauwa said that since the mast would be of immense benefits to the people and since the company had committed so much money into the venture, it would not be fair to ask the company to rig down. But more importantly, Oba Erediauwa reasoned, the people would lose should the construction of the mast be disallowed. He then found a middle way for the problem to be resolved.

Oba Erediauwa ordered that whenever the company’s engineers and riggers intended to climb the tower, they should first notify the palace. By doing so, the monarch said that he would have sufficient time to inform his wives and instruct them to stay indoors for the duration of the work. Everyone present at the meeting chorused Oba gha to kpere (Long live the Oba). Till date, that mast is still standing, and fully operational, contributing to the economic and social development of Benin City.

Yet another encounter with Oba Erediauwa. A few years after the Alaka Street mast erection, the company needed to optimise its network around Ring Road. The problem was that from the Sapele and Sokponba Roads ends of the Ring Road, there used to be a blind spot that cut off communication as one drove to negotiate either Forestry, Mission or Oba Market Roads. The technical unit of the company suggested a booster BTS around the Ring Road. The coordinate fell on the Benin Museum ground and the Roll Out managers negotiated with the museum and got a spot for the mast.

As the excavation work for the civil engineering structure began, a new set of Benin Palace Chiefs appeared. They contended that the entire Benin Museum ground was the bedroom of Omo N’Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi of the 1897 Benin Massacre episode. The chiefs added that any excavation beyond two metres would not be allowed as some traditional items were buried in that vicinity. The company needed at lease a 20-metre excavation for its pilling for the four legs of the tower.

The chiefs agreed that such a length of excavation would only be allowed after certain rituals were performed. They fixed the ritual items at N2 million. When the negotiation to beat down the cost failed, an ex-member of staff of the museum, whose mother was a Benin princess, intervened and approached the Oba.

Again, Oba Erediauwa agreed with his chiefs that the museum ground is sacred and any digging beyond two metres would require certain rituals to be performed. Then, having listened to the reasons why a new mast was needed and confirmed that he had received reports of the blind spot in communication around the Ring Road, he agreed that a new mast was desirable. The monarch was shown the picture of the pine tree mast to be erected and how effectively it blended with the vegetation in the museum ground. He then asked why the company was not willing to perform the rituals.

The company’s representatives told the Omo N’Oba about the cost. The Oba kept quiet for a while. Then he addressed his chiefs in the Benin Language. Thereafter, he spoke: “My chiefs have agreed that N50,000 will be enough for the ritual items. Give them and after they have done what they need to do, continue with your work. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Today, Oba Erediauwa has long joined his ancestors, but the mast is standing gidigba on the museum ground and the blind spot is eliminated! May the soul of Oba Erediauwa continue to occupy its rightful position among his forebears, Ise!

I have brought out these two narratives to show that justice, fairness and civility reside in the Palace of Oba of Benin. During the height of the misrule of the expired Head of State, General Sani Abacha, when his deputy, General Oladipo Diya and other top military brass were arrested for a phantom coup plot, it is on record that of all the traditional rulers who visited Abacha in Aso Rock Villa, only Oba Erediauwa and the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, refused to make comments. The two monarchs said that having listened to Abacha, they needed to also hear from Diya and his fellow detainees. When that request was declined, the two kings departed Abuja without saying anything about the coup plot. That is tradition, that is culture.

Today, a lot of issues are happening in Benin and the name of Omo N’Oba Ewuare II, the current king is being dragged to them. The Benin throne, unarguably, is one of the last vestiges of the pride of the African Race. The dignity of that throne is too significant to an average Black man for the negative narratives in Benin now. Any child of history, any proud son and daughter of the Black Race, must be worried, greatly troubled and very apprehensive that the revered Benin throne is being mentioned in many negative forms recently.

On a personal note, I would be long dead before I would believe that the Oba of Benin would mobilise, in any slightest imagination, thugs, parading as keepers of Benin tradition and custom, to attack diplomats as it happened two months ago during the ceremony organised at the premises of the controversial Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) for some diplomats and other arts enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the characters who caused such a monumental embarrassment claimed to have acted in the interest of the Benin Palace.

The issue of MOWAA had hardly died down when another set of street urchins, acting in the name of defending the Benin monarch, stormed a football field and kidnapped one of the prominent sons of Benin, Dr Don Pedro Obaseki. The excuse given was that in his closing remarks at a function in the United Kingdom sometime ago, Obaseki ended his contributions with the clause: “Edo gha to kpere” (Long live the Edo people) instead of the usual salutation of “Oba gha to kpere” (Long live the Oba of Benin).” (Long live the Oba). For that infraction, Obaseki was declared an Oghion-Oba (enemy of the Oba) He was beaten and stripped to his boxers before he was dragged to the palace and ended up at the Oba Market Police Station.

The most disturbing aspect of the ugly incident is the claim by Obaseki that while he was in that humiliating position “inside the Oba Palace, I was slapped, beaten, gagged, and forced to kneel while naked. While in this condition, I attempted to plead for my life and dignity as the Oba drove past me.” I earnestly pray that this account is an exaggeration. I cannot not believe that the Omo N’Oba drove past one of his sons in such a degrading state. It is inconceivable that the Omo N’Oba would be informed of such a commotion within the palace and fail to inquire into it or address it appropriately. May Benin Palace never degenerate to that level; may the gods and ancestors never permit it.

That said, I sincerely believe that Omo N’Oba Ewuare II must do something about the men going about harassing people all in the name of the Palace. No African child in his or her right senses would subscribe to any insult directed at any king, more so the Oba of Benin. An average sensible Benin child knows the grave implications of the Benin Palace declaring him or her as an enemy.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:OPINION: Nigerian Soldiers In Benin Republic

With the known acrimonious issues between the current Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, and the immediate Oba Erediauwa, the monarch never declared Igbinedion an Oghion-Oba because he knew the implications. The consequences of anyone becoming an enemy of the Oba of Benin go beyond the Biblical fourth generation! That is the culture. So, the question is: where did these men derive the power to declare anyone the enemy of the Oba when the Omo N’Oba himself has not made such a declaration?

It beats commonsense that in the 21st century, a group of people would descend to the level of barbarism exhibited on Sunday, December 28, 2025, in the stripping of Don Pedro Obaseki, and dragging him from Igbesanmwan Street through Holy Aruosa Church to Ring Road and the ancient Benin Palace all because he allegedly disparaged Benin culture! In my over a quarter of century residence in Benin, I have yet to come across any Benin culture that allows such an animalistic behaviour.

Every tribe has its good, bad and ugly. Benin is no exception. But I must confess here: If you are looking for civilisation and culture, visit Benin. It is no fun when the Benin forebears submit that Aghasoghe Edo, Edo Odion (When you get to Edo- Benin- Edo is still senior). They did not stop there. They added Aghase Edo, Edo Yere’re (When you get to Benin, Benin is still far), to show how complex the culture of the people can be. Benin home and in the Diaspora, have utmost regard for their Oba and believe that Edo Noba ye (Benin is where the Oba resides) and no other place, hence, they conclude Edo ni mose (Benin is beautiful)!

Where the king resides is where justice inhabits and is upheld. Benin cannot be beautiful when we keep recording these ugly incidents in torrents! This is why Oba Ewuare II must act. This is the reason why Umogun, the Uku Akpolokpolo must come out and denounce these charlatans. The time for the Oba to roar like the Ogidigan (great warrior) that he is, is now! Enough of the embarrassment, enough of the image denting. All that is required to end the trend is for the Omo N’Oba to issue a public statement distancing himself from anyone engaged in such barbaric acts. May the gods and the ancestors grant Oba Ewuare II the wisdom to pilot the affairs of his subjects peacefully. Oba gha to kpere Ise!

Sweet Christmas gift of death from America

Otokunado! That is a Benin street lingo. It simply means he who talks and acts the same way (talk and do). If President Donald Trump of America needs an appellation, Otokunado fits perfectly! My old boss has a saying when anything pleasant happens: E sweet my belle.

The Christmas Day bombing of the enclave of the terrorist of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State by the American Government, in line with President Trump’s promise, is one event one should not forget easily. It does not matter if America informed President Bola Tinubu before the bombing or it did not inform him. It doesn’t even matter if the claims by the Tinubu administration that it supplied the intelligence to America turned out to be another of the numerous bovine propagandas by the government.

My people say: ró aso mó ìdí, ró ìdí mó aso, kí ìdí má ti s’òfo ni (tie the wrapper round the waist or tie the waist round the wrapper, just ensure the waist is not exposed). The most important news is that the enclaves of the felons were bombed and many of them died! Nigerians should just allow our government to keep telling itself the narratives it chooses to propagate. We should not bother about why the Federal Government, and our Military could not use the same ‘intelligence’ it supplied the American Military, or why Aso Rock waited for President Trump to announce the encounter before it issued its usual nauseating statement!

If an average Nigerian does not know the truth, the nation which carried out the bombing knows how it did it and how many people knew about the plan. President Tinubu, while joining the victory dance, should be encouraged to ponder on the saying of the elders of my place to wit: Alágbò so àgbò sí ojú ebo, oníkálukú dé ibè fi wúre; ebora mo ohùn Alágbò, ebora mo ohún eni tó únwúre ( A man brings a ram to the shrine for sacrifice and another one takes it to pray for goodness from the deity. The deity knows the voice of the ram provider and the voice of the one using it to pray). While thanking him for the Christmas gifts of death to the most undesirable felons sent to hell, can we remind President Trump that a New Year gift of greater measure would not be a bad idea!

God bless the United States of America and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Hell to terrorists, the world over!

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:OPINION: Man-of-the-people, Man-of-himself

Makinde and Fayose: The dog and its puppies

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and his erstwhile friend, former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, are in the news. They are fighting today because they no longer share the same political ideology. Ironically, Fayose still claims to be a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). That itself defines who our politicians are. I don’t know if I am the only one feeling like puking each time Fayose or his new paymaster, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), claim to be in the PDP. The idea is too disgusting for me.

Fayose is after Makinde because the latter said he would not be supporting President Tinubu in 2027. Another disgusting fact is that Makinde in 2023 supported Tinubu against the PDP’s presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku. How the PDP accommodated that rebellion beats my imagination till this minute. The ex-Ekiti State governor is pissed off because Makinde had the effrontery to declare that he would not be backing Fayose’s god in 2027. To show how an ‘ingrate’ Makinde has turned out to be, Fayose said that the Oyo State governor collected a whopping N50 billion for the Bodija, Ibadan, bomb disaster, and gave the victims a paltry N4.5 billion.

Like he claimed years ago when he said that the late General Muhammadu Buhari would die by the minute, Fayose again added in 2025 that he had the evidence of the payment of the N50 billion to Governor Makinde. When he was dared to publish the evidence, like his front page announsorials of Buhari’s imminent death, Fayose published what turned out to be a request for the sum of N50 billion by the Oyo State Government for the Bodija bomb blast victims.

Did Fayose read the document? Or did his aides read it before it was published? How on earth would a man of Fayose’s standing equate a request memo to actual disbursement when the memo itself is self-explanatory? But he is Fayose and only an Ayodele Fayose could arrive at such a laughable conclusion. That, however, is not my worry here.

I must confess that I was scandalised when Makinde’s media aide, Dr Suliman Olanrewaju, issued a rejoinder, explaining how much was given, how much was disbursed to the victims directly and how the rest was used or is being used. Why would anyone trouble himself to dignify Fayose with a response over a matter that the public has turned to a joke?

Even from President Tinubu’s camp, not a few of them are having fun about how ridiculous Fayose could be when it comes to producing documentary evidence to back up his numerous spurious claims. The same gang that gave Fayose the fake pictures of a ‘dead’ Buhari on a London hospital bed also gave him the information of a N50 billion donation and the ‘evidence’ he published! They told a father that his child is stupid, and he answered that it was fine as long as he was not dead. Pray, what kills faster than stupidity?

Someone I discussed the Makinde-Fayose debacle with asked me what would have been my advice if Governor Makinde had consulted me over the matter. My response was a simple saying of our elders. Those men of wisdom say: A dog that eats its puppies should never be engaged to guard a corpse (Ajá tó ńje omo è, a kìí té òkú tìí).

My interlocutor asked me to explain, and I said if the governor had sought my advice, I would simply send him the last month’s video of Fayose’s mother lamenting that the ex-Ekiti State governor and his children were about sending her out of the house Fayose gave to her to stay. I also said that I would add the videos of Fayose’s younger brother, Isaac Fayose, and the last of his siblings, and ask Governor Makinde to watch and determine the character of the man who is fighting him. It is not every issue that requires a response.

The character of the one raising an issue counts and counts very importantly. A man who could treat his mother and siblings shabbily would not spare anyone. Those men of knowledge in my place caution that when you see a man who intentionally steps on his own cloth, know that he can set yours on fire. That would have been my closing remarks to Governor Makinde!

This is wishing you a fruitful New Year. See you in 2026, Insha Allah!

News

Nigerian Govt Launches LG Proof Of Address To Improve Citizen Identification

Published

19 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has officially rolled out the Local Government Proof of Address, POA, project, an initiative designed to strengthen national security, improve citizen identification, and enhance service delivery across the country.

The project, initiated by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, was formally approved through a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, with reference number 5964B/S,13/VBA/T.IIIA/704.

According to the circular, the POA scheme took effect from October 1, 2025. However, implementation is at various stages in different federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

According to the circular, under the new arrangement, all federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, government-owned corporations, and public institutions are mandated to replace the long-standing use of utility bills as proof of residence with the standardized Proof of Address issued at the local government level.

The circular explained that the POA project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly, in the areas of governance reform, security enhancement, and institutional efficiency.

It is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, serving as the coordinating federal agency.

“For years, the reliance on utility bills as proof of residence has posed major challenges. Many Nigerians do not have utility bills in their names, while others rely on outdated or shared documents that do not accurately reflect their current place of residence.

“In the same vein, the increasing use of digital services and prepaid utilities has further reduced the reliability of utility bills as a credible verification tool,” the circular stated.

Also, it noted that while the National Identification Number, NIN, remains a critical component of Nigeria’s identity management framework, a significant number of NIN records do not capture current or accurate residential addresses, limiting their effectiveness for residency verification, security profiling, and service planning.

“The POA is therefore designed to fill this critical gap by providing verified, location-specific, and up-to-date address information directly linked to local governments.

“The POA framework places residency verification at the grassroots, where local authorities have better knowledge of their communities. By anchoring address verification at the local government level, the initiative is expected to improve community-level intelligence, crime prevention, emergency response, and population data accuracy,” it added.

Beyond security, the circular noted that POA data is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including improved public service delivery, equitable resource allocation, disaster management planning, urban development, social intervention targeting and financial inclusion.

The circular directed state governments to lead awareness and sensitisation efforts within their jurisdictions, with technical and institutional support from the OSGF, NIPOST, and ALGON.