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OPINION: Kukah And A Nation Of Marabouts

Published

4 weeks ago

November 10, 2025

By Lasisi Olagunju

Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi (1924 –1992) was shocked when he got to Mecca for the first time in 1955 and discovered that the city had no streetlights. Sheikh Gumi was an Islamic scholar and Grand Khadi of the Northern Region from 1962 to 1967. He was the father of Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, the man who makes waves today.

Kaduna, from where the Sheikh took off to Mecca, had a power plant built there as far back as 1929. Street lighting was introduced to Lagos in 1898 – seventeen years after London had it. History says “the first, practical, public use of electricity” in London was in 1881; it was for street lighting.

Every man’s story is a mirror of a part of the past; it is a window into the future of the world. ‘Where I Stand’ is the late Gumi’s autobiography. Gumi wrote on page 69 of that book: “I remember that during my first Hajj in 1955, there was not even electricity in the city of Mecca. The only electric lights were at the royal palaces and the Ka’aba. The streets were lit with oil lamps early in the evening every day, which were extinguished the following morning.”

An entry in William Camden’s book of proverbs published in 1605 says “the early bird gets the worm”. In electricity and other certain matters, Nigeria was that bird. The English word, ‘headstart’ means “an advantage granted or achieved at the beginning of a race, a chase, or a competition.” If development was a race, Nigeria had a headstart over Saudi Arabia 70 years ago. Nigeria also had it over the UAE; Lagos had it over Dubai. The very first power generator came alive in Dubai in 1952. That was the moment the city first tasted electric light and shook hands with modernity. Dubai had its first hospital, Al Maktoum, in 1951; by 1979, it built its first skyscraper. When was Cocoa House, Nigeria’s first skyscraper, built in Ibadan?

Mecca, the holy city that lit its streets with oil lamps in 1955 is today one of the world’s celebrated smart cities. Check the Smart Cities Index released in 2023, 2024 and 2025 by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). What makes a city the most livable in 2025? In its World Competitiveness Ranking, IMD lists Dubai as the fourth smartest city in the world, and Mecca the 39th out of 146 cities globally. Where are Nigerian cities? Check.

The past was not this hopeless. In several areas, Nigeria started well. So, what happened to us? Or what has made a difference between our stunted growth and the grown/ growing nations? Quality of leadership and quality of ideas ruling. To be blessed with a good head is good, but a good head without character ruins. We say lack of character ruins good head.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:OPINION: Escaping From Nigeria

There is the story of a swift young man who was well ahead of his peers in all races. Well-endowed with talents but lacking in character, the fast-footed went for a race. His feet were swift, but his head grew heavy with pride and prejudice. He stumbled, fell, and was overtaken by all; even the lame boy he once mocked left him behind. Then elders started telling their children: “When a good head forgets character, it runs itself backward, and that is how great heads go bad.”

That is how Nigeria’s Lagos which had electricity as early as 1898, became, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 2025 report, the fifth most difficult city to live in globally (168th out of 173 cities).

But are we doomed to forever run ourselves backward?

I was in the audience at Dr Reuben Abati’s 60th birthday lecture and book launch on Friday in Lagos. I sat up when Bishop Matthew Kukah who delivered the birthday keynote, thoroughly trashed Nigeria for abandoning rational inquiry for magical thinking. Any country that abandons science for sorcery cannot be Saudi Arabia, cannot be United Arab Emirates and definitely cannot be Japan, or South Korea. It cannot have Copenhagen, the reigning best city to live in the world.

Bishop Kukah mentioned “marabouts” as our country’s guardian angels and the instructors of our pilots. Kukah’s imageries and metaphors point at the “spiritualists” as the compass we deploy for our journey of destiny. Superstition rots a nation; irrational beliefs corrode critical thinking; it poisons policy decisions and stunts progress. So, when we search for our golden years, they are always in the past. It is the reason the future increasingly becomes like the moon, unattainable for the moon catcher.

In the lecture entitled ‘Nigeria: Time to Reload’, Bishop Kukah made a striking connection between Nigeria’s underdevelopment and its deep entanglement with superstition, maraboutism, and the misuse of religion. He argued that one of the greatest obstacles to Nigeria’s progress is the replacement of reason and science with fear, fatalism, and spiritual manipulation. For Kukah, this overdependence on marabouts, prophets, and self-styled miracle workers reflects a dysfuntional national mindset. Kukah warned that “all this idea of government by marabouts, shamans, all this blood of sacrifice of protective gear against enemies, slaughtering of cross-bred cows, donkeys, camels, cats with three legs, one eye, no tail, black tongue and so on, will not cut it.” They have never, and will not.

The bishop observed and reminded us that Asian societies built their modernization on moral philosophy and scientific reasoning. He told us that those people drew on the teachings of Confucius, the Mahabharata, and the Japanese ethic of honour. He said Nigeria’s political and social life remained trapped in the orbit of primitive spirituality. He said we are a nation of shortcut takers and jilters of institutional solutions. With a dubious reputation of substitution of superstition for intellect, and of prophecy for planning, the only direction of the national vehicle is backwards. That is why everyone is leaving us behind in all spheres.

Bishop Kukah’s recommendation is that for Nigeria to attain greatness, it must “reload” and rediscover its moral compass; it must rebuild national cohesion, and renew trust in democracy by learning from past mistakes, reclaiming ethical and cultural values, and forging a unifying national spirit rooted in justice, integrity, and shared purpose. He said we must retrieve our country from religious extremists, marabouts and merchants of spirits.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:OPINION: APC’s Slave-raiding Expeditions

What does it mean to have one’s destiny in the hand of conjurers and manipulators? What Kukah painted is a portrait of the black man trapped forever in the hole of nonsense. The black man outsources his life to men who claim to be God. He does it out of fear. Fear of visible man and invisible spirit. But, the value that is called excellence does not stay in the house of jitters. If you see a black man eating his pounded yam in the dark, it is not moderation, it is the fear of the world who always wants man to eat his pounded yam as boiled yam, soupless.

Swiss linguist, Heli Chatelain, left the United States for Luanda, the capital of Angola, in the year 1885. He was twenty five years old when he was employed to assist missionaries in producing a grammar and a dictionary of a major language in that area. The man soon saw the moral nakedness of his hosts so much that by 1895, he was no longer in doubt on the reason for the black man’s backwardness: “No serious progress is possible as long as this belief and practice (witchcraft) exists,” Chatelain wrote in his ‘Causes of the Retardation of African Progress’, published in September, 1895.

The Swiss told an interesting story: At a point between 1885 and 1895, he met a slave who learnt carpentry on a plantation in Luanda, Angola. The slave was one very intelligent man who laced his competence with diligence. He soon gained his freedom. In freedom, the carpenter quietly set to work on building a brand, and a business, and he was very successful. He became very rich and bought six or seven local houses. He made more money and bought two expensive stone houses which he rented out to white tenants. From the rent, the man’s riches blossomed and were in multiples.

However, despite his wealth, the man moved about in shabby, ragged clothes. He constantly made excuses and told small lies to make people think he was not as rich as they believed. When asked by Chatelain why he behaved that way, he explained: “If I lived well and dressed nicely, people would become jealous, and their envy could bring me harm through witchcraft.” To reinforce his fears, the wealthy carpenter wasted a chunk of his wealth on powerful charms to protect himself from evil spirits which he thought his jealous enemies might send against him. The short narrative ends with the carpenter’s growth severely limited by his belief and his fears.

Why is Nigeria increasingly left behind? Heli Chatelain told more than the carpenter story. There was no system of writing when he arrived his part of Africa in about 1885. His reading the why was that “a genius or innovator in Africa is almost sure to be accused of witchcraft and to suffer death.” He added that “if a man shows any spark of genius, either by an invention or more rational conceptions, his superior talents may be ascribed to an enlisted spirit.” Chatelain ended that point with a declaration that unless the rich was generous with his money “the man who dared to be richer than his neighbours” risked envy which “is as dangerous as revenge.”

Anambra State governorship election was held on Saturday. I am almost certain that all candidates in that election were told by dibias that they would win. A winner has emerged. What happened to the ‘holy’ words of the seers? Governorship elections come up next year in Ekiti and Osun states. Marabouts must have whispered to every aspirant in our states that they are the anointed one, the next governor. Already, tremors and quakes are rumbling the political landscape; old walls are cracking; familiar trees are losing their roots and branches. Even if the heavens were to fall, no aspirant would yield ground for another. Brothers will fight brothers; friends will square up against friends. It is happening already. None, not even the most hopeless among them, will step aside or step down. Each has probably been told a vision that the crown is theirs to seize, take and flee with.

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You and I know that the ‘gods’ can only be right if each state were to have more than one ruler. But who will dare tell the desperate to pause and think before the storm comes for all?

For the 2027 presidential election, keep an eye on the main opposition parties. You heard that in the ADC no one will step down for no one, no matter how old. The rumble in their jungle is probably rooted in spiritual assurances from marabouts in Niger, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco etc that each of them is the next president. Some politicians take their hope from the same spiritual tray, yet the prophecy of electoral success is the same for all who bow before the seers.

Keep an eye on the ruling party, the APC. No one is contesting the ticket with the incumbent president. But, if you find persons angling to be vice president and displace the incumbent number two, find out which dibia or cleric ‘sees’ for them. They know that the incumbent president will have only one running mate, yet all of them are sure that they will be that person. Robert J. Sternberg, the author of ‘Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid’, says “the stupid should wear signs so we know not to rely on them.” Unfortunately, they don’t wear signs and some get voted in as our leaders.

Why are smart persons stupid as politicians? They believe what the seers serially tell them. What is the meaning of stupidity? I read Lewis Anthony Dexter’s ‘Politics and Sociology of Stupidity’ (1962). The author writes about what to do to help the stupid get out of their stupid hole. He writes about introducing technology as a way of “teaching the stupid not to be stupid” or to be “less stupid.” But I also read the frustration of the author at the stupid insisting on remaining “fundamentally” stupid.

As I listened to Bishop Kukah’s lecture on Friday in Lagos, my mind went straight to what a top politician from the north told me recently. The big man said to me that the real problem of Nigeria are the mystics; the seers, prophets and marabouts to whom politicians have outsourced the running of the country and its politics. Our husbands in the political parties seek and woo clerics as the real electorate. Your votes and mine are mere dummies set up to mask what the ‘gods’ have resolved to do on election day. After the election, the oracles rule, they dictate policies and projects; they decide who gets blessed, and who gets damned. They make and unmake the throne and those who sit on it. “That is where we are; the reason we are far behind our past,” the top politician told me.

I believe him. Man won’t learn. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Banquo asks the witches to speak if they “can look into the seeds of time, / And say which grain will grow and which will not.” The seers speak to Banquo and more to Macbeth. They tell Macbeth he will be king, and he becomes king. But what is that that we read as the end of King Macbeth?

News

FULL TEXT: Gen Musa’s Inaugural Speech As Defence Minister

Published

12 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

Newly appointed Defence Minister, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), on Friday, delivered his inaugural speech as he assumed office, pledging to end the shedding of innocent blood and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

Here is the full speech:

FULL SPEECH: ADDRESS BY GENERAL CHRISTOPHER GWABIN MUSA (RTD), ON HIS ASSUMPTION OF OFFICE AS MINISTER OF DEFENCE.

December 5, 2025

It is with profound humility and a deep sense of responsibility that I address you today in my new capacity as the Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Six weeks ago, I was in Kaki. Now, I am coming as the Minister. It can only be God. I thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the trust and confidence you have shown in me.

I take that very seriously. For me, it is indeed a privilege and an honour, after serving 39 years in service, to come in and now be the Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The love Nigerians have shown us reflects that people believe we can turn the tide.

But it is not rhetoric. It is by action. We must, firstly as Nigerians, take ownership of the responsibilities and challenges we face in our country.

It is only us who can solve the problem. It is when we agree within ourselves that we can deal with this, that we will succeed. God is with us, and He has always given us the responsibility to succeed.

This responsibility is one I accept with solemn reverence and unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our great nation, Nigeria. Let me also acknowledge the dedicated leadership of my predecessor and the relentless efforts of every one of you in this room.

When I was the Chief of Defence Staff, you gave me all the support, and I truly appreciate it. I want to assure you that coming back as Minister, we want to do more for your welfare, well-being, and the administration of the Ministry. I strongly believe in reward and accountability. You do well, you are rewarded. We take corrective measures to ensure we succeed. I don’t believe in “na so we dey do am.”

We must assess everything that we are doing and see whether we can improve it. I believe in fostering a positive workforce. We are going to listen to your challenges, and whatever we can do to address them, we will. But I count on you also to put in your best. You know your task ahead. You don’t have to wait until somebody calls you or asks you a question. Do what you are supposed to do, and that will make it easier for us as a nation.

The task of securing the nation is continuous, and I am aware that you have been holding the line with dedication. I commend you all. For decades, my life has been defined by uniform, by the ethos of service, and by sacred covenants to defend the territorial integrity and citizens of Nigeria. I therefore come to this role not as a stranger to our security challenges, but as a comrade who has been in the trenches both literally and figuratively. I’ve seen firsthand the bravery of our troops, the complexity of our threats, and the role of strategic coordination. Like I always say, no single individual can achieve this alone. No single service operator can do it. We must work as Nigerians, making Nigeria better.

Consequently, my core philosophy in ensuring the affairs of this ministry is simple: operational effectiveness through unified action and strategic foresight. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot afford to operate in silos.

We cannot tolerate gaps between policy and execution, or between the ministry and the services. This ministry will be a powerhouse of strategic direction, enabling support, and relentless accountability. We must provide that support for our troops to continue to succeed. They are sacrificing their lives out there in the field—day and night, thunderstorm or windstorm—whatever the situation, to ensure that we, Nigerians, can go to bed and sleep well. We must continue to pray for them. We must continue to provide the necessary support.

Working as a team with other MDAs, Mr. President has made it very clear he will give us all the support we require and demands that we achieve success, which we have promised him. Within the first few weeks, we must show that we are committed: the ministry working inside, the troops working outside.

To translate this philosophy into action, my initial focus will rest on three interconnected pillars: enhancing joint operational strategy synergy. We will immediately begin a rigorous review of all theatre commands and inter-service operations. My door will be open, as always, to the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for frank discussions on equipment, training, welfare, and strategy. Mr. President wants us to present our challenges, with the promise that they will be addressed. So it is left for us to do the needful.
Our goal is to overwhelm the adversaries with seamless jointness, not just cognition.

Welfare and Morale as a Force Multiplier

We all understand the importance of morale to our personnel and staff. We must therefore prioritise the timely provision of all necessary kits, ensure prompt payment of operational allowances, and vigorously address accommodation and medical care for our personnel and their families. Those not injured are watching how we treat the injured. If they are not taken care of properly, they will not give their best, because they will be apprehensive. Especially those who have lost their loved ones—the families want to know what will happen.

It is our responsibility to take care of them. The aspect of actions that impugn their integrity is not acceptable. We must make payments seamless. We must treat them with respect. Anybody who is laying down their life for their country deserves the highest respect, and that is what we offer. I will be very critical about that.

Intelligence-Driven and Technology-Enabled Defence

The Ministry of Defence is the strategic brain of our national defence architecture. We must therefore leverage technology for intelligence, surveillance, and recurring service. We have partners and allies ready to support us. We will reach out to them to work as a team. We will also collaborate with other security agencies. Every Nigerian is vital to the success of Nigeria. We will foster a culture where data and intelligence drive our decisions, not just experience alone. I charge the Ministry to be a catalyst for innovation and efficient resource management.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I expect the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and urgency from all of us. We do not have time to waste. We will continue to hit the ground running. We must respect the human rights of Nigerians. If we make mistakes, we must take necessary action to make amends. I will always encourage candid advice and robust debates. But once a decision is taken, we must move as one united team.

There will be zero tolerance for corruption, indiscipline, or indolence. Our loyalty is to Nigeria and the Nigerian people. The President is the Commander-in-Chief; the bulk stops on his table. We must provide the support required to make Nigeria peaceful.

Shedding of innocent blood is over. Our children should go back to school. Our farmers should go back to their farms. Most of the challenges we face are not military solutions—they are issues of good governance, justice, equity, and fairness, which we will encourage. Both non-kinetic and kinetic solutions must work hand in hand. We cannot afford to fail Nigerians. Charity begins at home; if we have the mindset that we will succeed, we will.

To the Service Chiefs, I offer my full support and expect your utmost cooperation to move the Armed Forces to greater heights. To the Department Secretary and the Civil Service cadre, you are the institutional memory and the framework for our sustainability. I value your expertise and count on your diligence to translate our military objectives into actionable administrative and budgetary policies.

The road ahead is demanding and will be tough. Let us not take it for granted. But because we are Nigerians, we shall overcome. The threats we face are adaptive and complex, but I have absolute faith in the indomitable spirit of our Armed Forces and the capable minds within the Ministry. With the support and prayers we are receiving from all Nigerians, we cannot fail.

In closing, let me once again reaffirm my commitment to lead with fairness, firmness, and loyalty to our Constitution. The President is doing everything possible to ensure our success. We must play our part. The task ahead is enormous, but surmountable. We can win. We will win. The good people of Nigeria are looking up to us for results, and we must deliver immediately. I am not here to preside; I am here to lead, to walk, and to deliver alongside you. I cannot do it alone. I thank you all as I look forward to our detailed work and the tasks ahead.

God bless you all, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you.

— General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd)
Minister of Defence, Federal Republic of Nigeria

News

Malami Breaks Silence On Alleged Terrorism Financing

Published

13 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has broken his silence on allegations linking him to terrorism financing, dismissing the claims as baseless, misleading and politically motivated.

In a statement issued on Friday, Malami said he was compelled to respond after a publication suggested that he and several others had connections to persons described as terror suspects or alleged financiers.

Malami described the claims as “unfounded, unfair and contrary to both my record in public office and objective facts.”

The former minister stressed that he had never been accused, invited, interrogated or investigated by any security, law-enforcement or intelligence agency within or outside Nigeria for terrorism financing or any related offence.

He said: “I state clearly and unequivocally that I have never at any time been accused, invited, interrogated, investigated or charged by any security, law-enforcement, regulatory or intelligence agency—within or outside Nigeria—in respect of terrorism financing or any related offence.”

Malami noted that even the retired military officer cited as the principal source of the publication admitted that he did not accuse Malami or the other individuals of financing terrorism, but merely referenced vague “business” or “institutional” connections allegedly linked to some suspects.

He said the publication misrepresented this clarification and was politically exploited to create damaging insinuations about him.

Malami warned that normal professional or institutional engagements must not be misconstrued as evidence of supporting terrorism.

“To suggest that lawful professional or institutional engagements can be read as evidence of terrorism financing is both mischievous and unjust,” he said.

Highlighting his record, Malami listed several anti–money laundering and counter-terrorism reforms spearheaded during his tenure, including:

Establishment of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as an independent entity

Enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022

Enactment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022

He noted that improved inter-agency coordination under these laws contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

“During my tenure, I worked to strengthen—not weaken—Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework against money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” he said.

Malami urged the media to exercise caution when reporting on sensitive national security issues, warning that careless publications can damage reputations and undermine confidence in state institutions.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law and Nigeria’s international obligations, adding that he reserves the right to seek redress against any publication that misrepresents his role in the fight against terrorism financing.

News

Otuaro Pledges To Expand PAP Scholarship As Beneficiaries Bag Master’s Degrees From UK Varsities

Published

23 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Editor

Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has expressed his unwavering commitment to expanding the PAP scholarship scheme.

The PAP boss made the pledge at a graduation reception for nine students who were awarded foreign post-graduate scholarships by PAP in universities in the United Kingdom.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, said the successful scholars are the first graduates in the offshore post-graduate scholarship deployment to UK institutions by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024-2025 academic session.

According to the statement, they graduated from the Anglia Ruskin University, University of Dundee and The University of Law with master’s degrees in cyber security, data science and engineering, law, construction and civil engineering management, project management, and ICT.

Otuaro disclosed in the statement that 711 undergraduate and post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries are expected to graduate from universities within Nigeria this year.

According to Otuaro, the expansion of the scholarship scheme is aimed at creating more opportunities for indigent students of Niger Delta extraction to access higher education with a view to closing the human capital development gap in the region.

Otuaro said it was for this reason he deployed 3800 beneficiaries in-country in the 2024-2025 academic year, and increased the figure to 3900 in the 2025-2026 academic session with 200 for foreign scholarships.

He said under his administration, 7700 students have been so far deployed for the PAP scholarship scheme within Nigeria in less than two years.

According to him, aince he took over, he has deployed 162 students from the region for post-graduate programmes in targeted disciplines in the UK universities.

According to him, this is in conformity with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for the Niger Delta, who has given unprecedented support to the PAP because of his sincere love for the area.

The PAP boss said, “Our decision aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the Niger Delta. We will continue to create more higher educational opportunities for students from indigent backgrounds in our region.

“We are also deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate in informal education and other areas for the sustainable peace and socio-economic advancement of the region.”

Otuaro, who congratulated the master’s graduates on their successful graduation, stressed that they completed their programmes in record time which shows the seriousness they had put into their studies.

He said they have justified the Federal Government’s investment in their education with their successful graduation, and urged other beneficiaries not to be distracted in their academic pursuits.

“We congratulate these scholars on their successful graduation. It shows that they took their studies seriously. That is what we demand of every scholarship beneficiary, whether at the undergraduate or post-graduate level”, Otuaro said.