News

OPINION: The President’s New Hausa, Igbo Caps

Published

7 months ago

May 12, 2025

By Lasisi Olagunju

One hundred and seventy-nine Anambra kings gave President Bola Tinubu a chieftaincy title last week. They said the title, ‘Dike si Mba’ means “Warrior from the Diaspora.” That title, plus its translation, get as e be. I heard them and asked questions. If they didn’t translate it, I would be quiet. But they did. Why Diaspora? Why not ‘Dike Mba’ (People’s Warrior) like Ojukwu’s ‘Ike Mba’ which means ‘Power of the People’? Why negativise Tinubu’s with ‘si’? Àtòhúnrìnwá! You can honour the president with chieftaincy titles without calling him an outsider. ‘Dike si Mba’ sounds like ‘Foreign Fighter’ or ‘Shadow Warrior’ or ‘Conqueror from Outside’ or even an invader.

Diaspora? No. The whole of Nigeria is the president’s constituency.

Warrior? Yes. That is what Tinubu is.

Foreigner? No. The president owns Nigeria.

Shadowy? No. He is bold and intrepid.

Invader? No. A president cannot invade his own country.

The installation circus was fascinating. It was pleasant to watch. The president got beautiful beads for his neck; he also had a temptation red cap for his fortunate head. For the neck beads, the ‘kingmaker’ counted one, two, three in Igbo before dropping the string. But why counting three? American anthropologist, Daniel Brinton, in 1894 linked that number to what he called an invocation of “the Past, the Present and the Future.” For the president’s red cap, the counting went beyond three; it reached seven. Again, Brinton says ‘seven’ represents completeness and perfection. To get that perfect state, add the four cardinal directions of East, West, North and South to the three conceptions of vertical space: Above, Below and Here. A warrior’s conquest is total and complete and perfect when it fuses the cardinal points to the vertical space. With that title, Tinubu will soon have it complete and perfect.

Until now, I had thought Ibadan people were the only ones who use hospitality to rattle their guests. A musician went to Ibadan some 50 years ago and almost got stuck there because of Oluyole’s goody-goody. Ibadan dùn.

The musician was the legendary Yusuf Olatunji, foremost Yoruba sakara musician of the 1960s, 1970s. He died on 15 December, 1978. His record, volume 33, is a vinyl of appreciation for the uncommon hospitality he got from the city of generous warriors.

Yusuf sings that he went to Ibadan and met someone “who fetes his guests so much that they get scared (A s’eni l’álejò k’érù ó ba ni).”

The singer is not done with his thanks. He draws a parallel: “Some people give you chickens to rear and they regularly count the number of eggs they lay. But son of Olagunju gave out horses complete with saddles. He entertained me so well that I couldn’t tell my wife anything when I got home… He blessed me with a babe (Ó fi baby kan ké mi/ enu ò gbà’ròyìn).”

It was with a great reluctance that he eventually went back home after his musical show. The man got home and waxed volume 33, promising to go back there: “People going to Ibadan should help me greet son of Lawani. They should tell him that I am coming back to Oluyole.”

The president went to Katsina two weeks ago – the week before Anambra. He came back to Abuja without his trademark cap. For much of last week, on the president’s head was a new headdress. It was Arewa all the way. He is probably the only one who could tell what ‘fura’ or ‘nono’ or ‘wake ntura’ he was fed with in Katsina. He had a nice time, it was obvious. Not even the glass-shattering impunity of some rude palace guards could unnerve him. He was loved. But he may soon find out that leaf turns to soap only at one’s home. Out there, the saying is that even if a log stays ages in the water, it never becomes a crocodile.

Famous Hausa musician, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, thrilled a clapping Tinubu with his latest song, ‘Omo Ologo’ (Child of Glory). “Bola Asiwaju/Omo Ologo.” Rarara sang in passable Yoruba. The president brightened up; he smiled, laughed and clapped. I watched that Rarara scene and remembered another line in Yusuf Olatunji’s song:

“If a man is wealthy and he uses his wealth to bless his relations, friends and the elderly; he will be celebrated till the evening of his life.” May God give us plenty of Omo Ológo (children of glory); the ones that will win at home and abroad and bring home uncommon slaves, crowns and coral beads.

Last week, the president moved from the North to the East, the land of the rising sun. In Anambra, Tinubu’s cap turned red with a conqueror’s feather as the icing on his cake. He got a war title.

“This is a title from all the royal fathers in the 179 communities of Anambra State. The title is called ‘Dike si mba’, meaning ‘Warrior from the Diaspora’, and it is in recognition of your good works across the country,” Igwe Chidubem Iweka, chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, told Tinubu as the installation drama reached the climax.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: A Nation Of Defectors [Monday Lines]

The Igwes said the president is a warrior from the diaspora. What informed that choice of title? ‘Diaspora’ is an ancient word that suggests externality. “It is an outer-national term”, that is what Paul Gilroy of the University of London says it is. In cues and clues, diaspora hints at being here without being ours. It connotes simultaneous acceptance and rejection. But what do I know and what does it take to become a chief in an alien land? If you learn how to wash your hands properly, you will have caps and feathers competing for your head. A million of such titles eye the president’s ever willing head. I am learning fast.

The Anambra rulers did it even better than those whose fathers installed chiefs a million years ago. The title is in recognition of the president’s “good works across the country.” It turned out that Chinua Achebe is right when he says that “whatever tune you play in the compound of a great man, there is always someone to dance to it.” The title givers had a backup in the Anambra youths who joined them with their own anthem of adulation: “Na our Papa be this o e/ We no get anoda one…” They sang, almost uncontrollably. They are the new converts to the religion called Bola Tinubu. It is hot in their blood. You remember what literature says about converts and fanaticism? They are a people who won’t be quiet and won’t allow other people to enjoy their quietude.

There is a character in Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ called Enoch. He is a convert fittingly described by the villagers as “the outsider who wept louder than the bereaved.” Anambra and its philosopher governor played that character last week. And to think that a little over 200 years ago, there was no such things as kings in that corridor where 179 crowned heads crowned the president as their diaspora warrior.

Then came Governor Chukwuma Soludo who completed the rout by collapsing his APGA into Tinubu’s APC. Soludo said his provincial party had a character of grafting alien heads on its trunk at critical moments.

APGA is perennially Achebe’s efulefu “who sold his machete and then wore the sheath to battle.” Last week, it was time for that party’s pepper to prove that neither pounding nor grinding would remove or temper its fire of harlotry. Soludo said APGA, as it did in previous elections, had adopted the incumbent for a second term – even when neither the president nor the law had said it was time to start the 2027 campaigns.

Some people no dey carry last. The Anambra declaration was part of today’s political gold rush and rat race. The sprinters would swear that they jumped the queue because the prophet’s Yoruba rodents are too slow to understand what is going on. Again, Achebe says so in ‘Arrow of God’: “If the rat cannot flee fast enough, let him make way for the tortoise.”

Tinubu is an extremely smart and wise somebody. He has been around long enough to know how to walk this night of Nigeria.

But the feverish scramble to make Tinubu an emperor “is like digging the grave of a hunchback. It will not fit.” I read that wisdom in Elechi Amadi’s ‘The Great Ponds’, page 84. If you tell this to those working hard to sculpt a king out of a democracy, they won’t listen. Achebe was Igbo just like Soludo. Elechi Amadi wasn’t exactly Igbo, he was an Ikwerre man. The old writers wrote wisdom for their time, for our time and for time future. I wish Soludo and his adoptive chanters would read and listen to the prophets and be guided. If the new Dike demands to be the first king of this democracy, and the converts shout Hallelujah “with automatic alacrity”, how will they get the congregation to back them up with the appropriate chorus? And they need it.

Before Anambra, there was Katsina for Tinubu. And, you know, Sokoto may be proud as the seat of the Caliphate but Katsina is the place where the story started long ago. Bayajidda I was created somewhere in today’s Katsina State. Bayajidda II lives there. The president may have thought of that. If you are lucky and alert and attentive, your leg will always take you to the road that leads to good fortune.

Like Anambra, the president enjoyed the nights and days he spent with the kingmakers of Nigeria in Katsina. But a billboard of controversy which welcomed him to that state is roiling the state. It stands where it stood in defiance of critical reality. The message it carries is “Katsina ba korafi (Katsina has no complaint).” No complaint in poverty and bandit-ravaged Katsina? Critics ask that question even as Daily Trust quoted some elders as being angry with the governor for hiding his whitlow fingers from his physician, the president.

The governor disowned the billboard as soon as the president left. Who then owns it? Son of the soil and Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, said he does. Daily Trust quoted him as explaining that the billboard was mounted by his supporters to assure President Tinubu of the party’s support for him in Katsina State. “It is important for the public to understand that the billboard’s message was meant as a symbol of unity and support for the president, not to deny the existence of security or developmental challenges in the state.” Daily Trust said that was what the minister said, panting.

He don try. At least we have a three-word mantra as the take-away from that presidential visit.

Nigerians are pleased with their leader and his government; there is no complaint. Something to copy there for the Yoruba when the president comes visiting this week – or the next: Yoruba ba korafi. Yorubaland has no complaint. Our warrior son is the president.

Up Next

PHOTOS: Jonathan, Diri, Obi, Others Grace Clark’s Commendation Service

Don't Miss

OPINION: The Shame Of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road

Comments

News

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

Published

2 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

4 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

14 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.