The war against official corruption in the police, the battle cry of DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd, mni, Chairman, Police Service Commission is spreading like wild fire with the dividends already trickling down.DIG Argungu had declared at his assumption of office that he would not tolerate corruption at both the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force and had quickly launched whistle blowing Policy in the Commission. He had also presented himself for official scrutiny and declared that the whistle should be blown on him if found wanting in the line of duty.The Commission has recently noted some positive signals from Nigeria Police Officers who have stood against corruption in the face of tempting offers.
The PSC Chairman DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd, mni, in reaction to the pleasant developments said it is a battle that must be won in the interest of the Nigerian nation.The Commission notes the recent rejection of the whopping sum of N174million by detectives of the Raider team from Zone 2 Command Lagos and the swift recovery of N10million from some Police men from Zone 16 Command Headquarters, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State as refreshing signposts of the deepening of his zero tolerance for Corruption in the service.CSP Ngozi Braide had led her team from Zone 2 Lagos, to arrest a suspected Internet fraudster Patrick Akpoguma in Lagos and courageously played along, collecting a huge sum of 100 000 dollars an equivalent of N174million in bribe which she subsequently registered as evidence and arrested the fraudster for investigation. Ikechukwuu Ani, the spokesman of the Commission said DIG Argungu wishes to commend the Inspector General of Police for the current positive dispositions of the Officers and Men against the lure of corruption.
He assured that Police Officers who distinguish themselves and take the war against corruption to the next level would in no time be recognised by the Commission and appropriate benefits extended to them.The PSC Chairman said although the Commission will not engage in special promotions, it has the powers to give accelerated promotion based on merit and performance.
He tasked Police Officers to continue to do their best to advance the nation’s security architecture. DIG Argungu noted that Nigeria must be freed of insurgency and terror.
Rest assured of convivial reception whenever you stop by his address in Abuja or back home in Umulenso, Umuahia, Abia State. Kolanuts, bitter kola, *añara,* (egg plants), and *ose oji,* (groundnut and pepper paste), receive you as is standard *Igbo* cultural practice. You savour the best of beverages, subject to your choice. The finest of *Cognac XOs and VSOPs* were preferences in years past. Properly *aged whiskeys* have become more fashionable as we all age and manage our wellness parameters. Wine connoisseurs and subscribers to softer liquids will also have their fill. Undoubtedly, he is a man of style.
His sitting room typically snowballs into a theatre of vibrant discourse and robust conversations. The subject could be anything: Economy, politics, international affairs, sports and more. Get set to engage this pseudo-encyclopaedia. You will be amazed at the sharpness of his memory, the width of his insights and the depth of his interventions. He makes sure to congratulate me whenever my favourite team in the English Premier League, (EPL), Arsenal, excels. He also sympathises with me when the outcome of a game is dampening and I wear a long face. He is that perspicacious.For his humongous attainments in life and the reverence he commands, Onyema Ugochukwu is a very humble, sober, maybe shy, temperate personality. He bestrode the corridors of the pristine *Daily Times of Nigeria Plc* with his towering frame. But he is a most amiable gentleman, an intuitive economist, a thorough-bred journalist, a painstaking administrator and thrifty personality. He is a diligent and loving husband, a caring and concerned father and a doting and grateful grandfather. He cherishes his quietude and abhors noise making. But he “loses” the battle when his grandchildren, predominantly boys for now, come visiting like they did on his recent 80th birthday.
They wholly and effectively took over his house, spontaneously converting into a functional “amusement park!” But you could discern from his face the joy of grandfather-hood as he and his wife of 45 years, Joyce Ugochukwu, a veteran medical practitioner, try to moderate the energetic enthusiasm of the toddlers. Regular callers like us, those we call *ama’la* in Igbo, home boys that is, knew Ugochukwu would commemorate his ascent to the octogenarian hierarchies this year. I have been associated with him for about 35 years now since the charismatic media revolutionary, Yemi Ogunbiyi gave me a job in the Daily Times in 1990. I was adopted by both paragons and I have never been far from them. I have a fair idea of milestones close to their hearts. Ugochukwu’s Abuja home underwent a tangible makeover which he always complained to me upset his equilibrium while the process was on. Just in case he thought the lawn in front of his house where a number of family events took place in the past would suffice for his 80th, however, his children, select kinsmen and friends had other plans. Ugochukwu’s trajectory commands thanksgiving in every way. He was the third of seven children. Except for his immediate younger sister, Chinyere Achinivu, all the others are no longer with us.
More touching is the fact that none of his siblings attained the age of 70, nay 80. There was therefore no shying away from celebrating the goodness of God. From New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Warri, family members, relatives, in-laws, friends, former colleagues were already streaming into Abuja days before the programme. Boisterousness and festivity enveloped the air, setting the stage for a memorable event.A thanksgiving service was held at the Methodist Church Nigeria, Cathedral of Unity, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Saturday November 9, 2024, the very date of Ugochukwu’s milestone and was attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Flagbearer of Labour Party, (LP) during the 2023 elections, Peter Obi and former Permanent Secretary and Ambassador at various times, Godknows Igali and his wife, were also present. Obasanjo used the opportunity to pay tribute to Ugochukwu who was his Director of Publicity back in 1998, when he, Obasanjo, first dabbled into partisan politics. He acknowledged the name-calling Ugochukwu endured from his kinsmen at the time. They could not fathom why he chose to work for Obasanjo, when former Vice President Alex Ekwueme also from the Igbo country, was contesting the same election.
He celebrated Ugochukwu for his multisectoral contributions to national development. He lauded him in particular for emplacing a sustainable road map for implementation by the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), as foundation Chairman, over two decades ago. *Rainbow Marquee and Event Centre* in Garki, Abuja was the venue of the reception. Days before, Ugochukwu was apprehensive about the cavernous size of the auditorium, noting it might just be half empty with the kind of restrictions placed on attendance. By the time he and his family joined his guests straight from church, however, Ugochukwu was astounded. He barely could believe what his “eyes were telling him.” The marquee was brimming and bustling. His guests by the way were not from the mass of those admonished by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to *eat wherever they found food!* Sometimes in life, we never know the depth of veneration we command in people’s hearts, until we are privileged to be honoured at events like Ugochukwu’s. What could have been more gratifying than having former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Ali and his wife Marian and former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, topping your guest list? Senator representing Ugochukwu’s Abia Central Zone, Austin Akobundu, who chaired the programme, and the Member Representing the Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Obi Aguocha, were in attendance. Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator for Abia South Zone, was represented by his wife, Florence Nwamaka, while former Deputy Governor of Abia State, Oko Chukwu Ude, also graced the occasion.
So did former Health Minister, Professor Alphonsus Nwosu and his wife; former Senators representing Abia Central, Chris Adighije and Nkechi Nwogu, and running mate to Ugochukwu during his gubernatorial quest in 2006/2007, Chinwe Nwanganga and his wife. Other dignitaries at the event included Olusegun Runsewe, former Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, (NCAC); Nebolisa Emodi, retired Permanent Secretary, State House Administration and Reverend Benson Ezem, Chairman of *Cosmo Base Group* and his wife. Uba Agadaga, former Member of the National Assembly Service Commission, (NASC); Nonso Ogbunamiri, a Lagos-based *multipreneur;* Umeh Kalu, SAN, former Attorney-General, Abia State and Handel Okoli, also a renowned attorney and adviser in the Obasanjo/Atiku government, made it to the event. Segun Ilori, Legal Adviser, Green Energy Ltd, and Tivlumun Nyitse, Professor and former Chief of Staff in Benue State, honoured the programme. Emeritus Librarian, the septuagenarian Tunji Okegbola; adviser to the former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Nwosu and his wife; long-serving media adviser to Babatunde Fashola, SAN, former Lagos State Governor, who was also Works Minister, Hakeem Bello, topped the *Daily Times alumni* who celebrated their senior colleague. Paul Mumeh, media aide to former President of the Senate, David Mark; Joe Ibekwe, Convener of the FLED International Leadership Institute, and longtime Ugochukwu photographer, Tumo Ojelabi, all of them *Timesmen,* showed up for their former boss.From the NDDC family, “ancient and modern,” came former Managing Director who was also pioneer Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme, Timi Alaibe. There was also the former NDDC Commissioner for Cross River State, Professor Eyong Nyong; the recently retired legal adviser to the Commission, Steve Igbomuaye and former protocol head, now multibillionaire entrepreneur, Julius Rone representing the old era. Incumbent Chairman of the Commission, Chiedu Ebie; Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku; Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, topped the present generation of the NDDC leadership. Not forgetting the Corporate Affairs Director of the organisation, Seledi Wakama.The NDDC solidarity was as remarkable in numbers as it was in goodwill.
They supported the production of two books to commemorate the event. Obasanjo wrote the Foreword to one of the books, *Galvanising Development in the Niger Delta: Selected Engagements by Onyema Ugochukwu,* jointly edited by this writer and the eminent journalist, John Araka. The second publication, a dedicated anthology of tributes to Ugochukwu, titled *Testaments and Testimonials: Celebrating Onyema Ugochukwu at 80,* was edited by Tunde Olusunle. The work is an anthology of about 90 attestations to Ugochukwu, predominantly by professional colleagues, old and young. Hakeem Bello one of the contributors to the volume, fittingly describes it as a “collector’s item.”What better way to profile an anthology with contributors from the media like: Yemi Ogunbiyi; Dan Agbese; Tola Adeniyi; Felix Adenaike; Lade Bonuola; Olu Obafemi; Chidi Amuta; Godini Gabriel Darah; Ben Obi; Dare Babarinsa and Ayo Akinkuotu? Tributes from Solomon Odemwingie; Emma Agu; Lanre Idowu; Omar Farouk Ibrahim; Lanre Idowu; Ohi Alegbe; Nduka Nwosu; Gbenga Adefaye; Eniola Bello; Idang Alibi; Gboyega Okegbenro; Olusegun Adeniyi; Segun Ayobolu; Segun Ilori; Lizzy Ikem, Angela Agoawike and Martins Oloja also feature. Gbenga Ayeni; Tunde Rahman; Al Bishak; Salisu Na’inna Dambatta; Lawal Ogienagbon and Dan Akpovwa, equally celebrate Ugochukwu in this volume.Ugochukwu’s globality resonates from the pages of this book. You find a man who is Igbo by birth and origin, but pan-Nigerian in thought and outlook. Ugochukwu’s colleagues, friends and associates come from all over.
Tunde Ipinmisho, an Emeritus Editor who served under Ugochukwu in *Daily Times* always remarks about Ugochukwu’s politeness and culturedness: “He tells you “thank you” for whatever you do for him, no matter how little,” Ipinmisho says. The *319-page* innovative assemblage of tributes, is indeed a treasure trove. The two books presented at the programme were published by the rising Ibadan-based *Kraft Books Ltd* and reviewed by Gbenga Ibileye, Professor of English at the Federal University Lokoja, (FUL). They were formally presented at the reception and handed over to guests for free, consistent with the desire of the honoree. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar noted at the event, that at the height of his famous acrimony with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ugochukwu refused to take sides. According to him, Ugochukwu was a conciliator who tried as much as he could, to mediate between both sides. He described Ugochukwu as an “extremely dedicated and passionate Nigerian, a credible and perfect gentleman.” Turning to Mrs Ugochukwu on the table they all sat, Atiku said: “Madam, you are very fortunate to have him.” He prayed for good health and many more years for Ugochukwu. Akobundu expressed utmost delight at the rare honour of chairing Ugochukwu’s landmark, a legend he defers to as *Dee,* (elder in Igbo) and leader.” The revelry flowed over to the home of the Ugochukwus, late into the night, with still a lot to savour.
Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), teaches Creative Writing at the University of Abuja
He reincarnated in the form of a cream coloured, two-storey building in the bosom of the boulder-braided, writers’ commune, in the rocky delight of Abuja’s Mpape district. His happy host, like him an erstwhile member of the tribe of wordmongers was despatched over a phantom putsch one decade before him. But he rolled out a carpet of dry laterite with the steady onset of northerly harmattan, to receive his new guest and kindred spirit. The air was sedate, the biosphere alluring and serene as his name echoed from the signage hoisted in front of the structure. This, henceforth, will be the haven of scribblers from across the globe desiring genuine solitude to commune with their muses in the very intricate venture of creative expression. Not too many of the young writers who enthusiastically witnessed the recent commissioning of the Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers Residency in Abuja, however, knew enough about the martyr who was so canonised, nor the nexus between Ken Saro-Wiwa and his figurative “host,” Mamman Jiya Vatsa.
As part of the activities commemorating the 43rd International Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA), which held between Thursday October 31 and Saturday November 2, 2024, a newly built edifice christened after Saro-Wiwa, was scheduled for inauguration. Ken Saro-Wiwa remains one of Nigeria’s most multitasking and most productive writers of all time. He lived for only 54 years but left behind an authorial legacy which continues to challenge the prolificity of successor writers. Saro-Wiwa was a compelling novelist, an engaging essayist, a consummate poet, an arresting dramatist, and a fearless public scholar.
Regarded as Africa’s very first purpose-built writers village, the expansive hilltop project in Mpape, Abuja, was named after Vatsa, an army General who was a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), under the regime of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Less than seven months into the Babangida milieu in March 5, 1986, Vatsa was executed by firing squad for alleged “treason associated with an abortive coup.” He was 45 at the time. Importantly, Vatsa was a writer who reportedly published about 20 poetry anthologies, including: Verses for Nigerian State Capitals, (1972); Back Again at Wargate, (1982); Reach for the Skies, (1984), and Tori for Geti Bow leg and other Pidgin Poems, (1985). Vatsa as FCT helmsman, it was, who allocated the generous swathes of hitherto pristine land with scenic views upon which the writers village is sited today. The complex is deservedly named after him in eternal gratitude by the writers fraternity.
Ken Saro-Wiwa was the fourth President of ANA. He succeeded the renowned dramatist and Emeritus Professor of theatre arts, Femi Osofisan, in 1990, and was a very energetic personality, famous for the tobacco pipe which was permanently seated on his lip, drawing parity with that of Ousmane Sembene, the famous Senegalese frontline African novelist and filmmaker. Saro-Wiwa had a multitasking career which saw him as a university lecturer in his earlier years; an administrator and public servant, and an environmental activist, at various times. He was leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, (MOSOP), which prosecuted a nonviolent campaign for the protection of Ogoni land and water resources from devastation by oil multinationals.
He backed up this enterprise with regular interventions in the public space as a writer and columnist for a number of authoritative newspapers. He consistently drew attention to the despoliation of the natural resources of his people and wrote regularly for Vanguard and Sunday Times, among other publications. He was a regular, long-staying guest of the gulags of successive military governments, through the administrations of Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha. In 1994, he was arrested and charged with instigating the murders of four Ogoni leaders, May 4, 1994, on a day he was indeed barred from accessing Ogoniland. Saro-Wiwa and his eight “accomplices” were executed by hanging at the Port Harcourt prison where they were held and convicted, on November 10, 1995, exactly one month after his 54th birthday on October 10, 1995.
By some uncanny calendrical coincidence, the Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers Residency, was inaugurated early November 2024, the very same month he was despatched 29 years ago in 1995. Global outrage trailed the killing of Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, with the Commonwealth suspending Nigeria for three years, among other sanctions. The death of Sani Abacha in June 1998, the subsequent acceleration of processes which returned Nigeria to civilian rule by Abacha’s successor, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and the enthronement of the Fourth Republic in 1999, gradually tempered the world’s coldness towards Nigeria.
At least three dozen book titles are credited to Ken Saro-Wiwa’s name. These include novels, novellas, anthologies of poetry, plays for radio and television, memoirs and diaries, and so on. His works have received requisite some international attention such that they have been translated into German, Dutch and French. His authorial oeuvre includes: Tambari, (a novel, 1973); Tambari in Dukana, (a sequel to Tambari, 1986); A Bride for Mr B, (a novella, 1983), and Songs in a Time of War, (poetry, 1985). Ken Saro-Wiwa also wrote Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English, (1985); A Forest of Flowers, (1986, short stories); Prisoners of Jebs, (a novel, 1988) and Pita Dumbrok’s Prison, (1991), which like the former is very biting political satire.
On a Darkling Plain: An Account of the Nigerian Civil War, (memoirs, 1989), a war which he witnessed firsthand, is also one of his very gripping works of prose. Saro-Wiwa’s public engagements are aggregated in several volumes of essays notably Nigeria: The Brink of Disaster, (1991); Similia: Essays on Anomic Nigeria, (1991) and Genocide in Nigeria: The Ogoni Tragedy, (1992). Even in his final days, weeks and months of his sojourn on this side of the divide, Saro-Wiwa “remained incredibly productive.” Posthumously, his family, foreign concerns and nongovernmental organisations continued to call-up manuscripts from his personal library to publish new works by him. A personal diary he kept while he was in incarceration before his eventual annihilation was published with the title A Month and a Day: A Detention Diary, in 1995. Over 20 years after his demise, some of his essays were assembled as Silence would be Treason: Last Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and published by Daraja Press in Ottawa, Canada, in 2018.
The Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers Residency is one of the first major physical projects delivered by the leadership of Usman Oladipo Akanbi. Fortuitously, Akanbi’s deputy, Obari Gomba, winner of the 2023 NLNG Prize for Drama, is from Saro-Wiwa’s Ogoni country. He must have felt gratified by the honour done his countryman, whose trajectory he followed as a much younger writer. The eventual breaking of the ice, the decisive commencement of the physical development of the hitherto forlorn and controversial expansive hectarage of ANA property was consummated under the leadership of Denja Abdullahi in 2017. Obi Asika, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, (NCAC), commissioned the Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers Residency.
The ceremony was witnessed by an impressive array of writers, headlined by Emeritus Professors Osofisan and Olu Obafemi, both former Presidents of ANA, as well as Nuhu Yaqub, OFR. Yaqub holds the distinction of being the only Nigerian scholar thus far to have served as Vice Chancellor in two federal universities, those of Abuja and Sokoto. Other literary greats at the event and the main Convention included: Professors Shamshudeen Amali, OFR, former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin; Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo; May Ifeoma Nwoye and Sunnie Ododo, all Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, (FNAL) and the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA).
There were also Professors Joe Ushie, a Member of ANA Board of Trustees; Emeka Aniagolu; Udenta Udenta; Maria Ajima; Al Bishak; Mabel Evwierhoma; Razinat Mohammed; Vicky Sylvester Molemodile and Mahfouz Adedimeji. Immediate past ANA President, Camillus Ukah, Emeritus diplomat and writer Ambassador Albert Omotayo, featured at the Convention. Canada-based writer, scholar and Professor, Nduka Otiono who served as General Secretary of the association under the leadership of Olu Obafemi, was admitted into the College of Fellows of the body. Chairman of the Abuja Chapter of ANA, Arc Chukwudi Eze, was the resident host with compelling responsibility to stay through all events.
Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), teaches Creative Writing at the University of Abuja
Seasons of politicking have always excited me through the ages. They come with multidimensional appeal and inspiration for both the creative writer and the recorder of history in motion, the journalist. They are characterised by sights and sounds, specific to the season. They throw up slogans and soundbites, rhymes and rhythms, frills and thrills, which ring and re-echo in our consciousness beyond the period. Can I for instance ever forget a 2011 incident during which my SUV, an Infinity QX 56 was transported by a wooden ferry across the River Niger from Lokoja the Kogi State capital to Gboloko in Bassa local government area in Kogi State? It was during the off-cycle election which produced the Emeritus aviator, Idris Wada, as governor of Kogi State. My heart was effectively in my mouth for the duration of that trip. I opted to return to the Kogi State capital through a longer land route, rather than repeat that experiment.
Campaigns could turn boisterous and carnivalesque, generating a tapestry of tongues, a cacophony of colours, in the frenzied ambience of festivity. Afrobeats which has hoisted Nigerian music unto the global spotlight, has become sine qua non on Nigeria’s political trail. This is the trend in the liberal north central and global south of Nigeria, typically enlivening open air campaigns and concurrent roadshows. Most unfortunately, the “do or die” desperation which has blighted contemporary electioneering in parts, has impacted the characteristic blitz and glitz of electioneering in instances. My involvement in quite a few such exercises over several decades, at various levels, has privileged me with “seven-figure gigabytes” of on-field experience such that one can speak about these issues from an informed perspective.
Nigeria’s political discourse was noticeably enriched with new rhetoric in the run-up to the 2023 presidential polls. Incumbent President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, were the flagbearers of the three foremost political parties. These were the All Progressives Congress, (APC); the Peoples Democratic Party, ( PDP) and the Labour Party, (LP). Tinubu encountered storms and tempests, en route securing the prized ticket. There was obvious conspiracy to deny him the ticket with over a dozen aspirants contesting against him for the flag, many candidate riding on the phantom endorsement of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In obvious allusion to the overt plots against him at the time, an exasperated Tinubu told a crowd of supporters in Ogun State, that it was his turn to be President. He captured this in Yoruba as emi lokan. Tinubu has been largely credited with the coronation of Buhari as President in 2015. The “gentlemanly” agreement between both parties was that Buhari will reciprocate the good turn, come 2023. The expression emi lokan spontaneously became an Afrobeat song. The National Association of Seadogs, (NAS), better known as the Pyrates Confraternity, made the expression into a song which was further discofied by the Afrobeat artist, Dede Mabiaku. Trust Nigerians to make capital of almost anything and everything. Before that, there was Tinubu’s slip when he advocated the recruitment of “50 million youths” to fight ravaging insurgency and banditry across the land. They would be fed with garri, ewa, agbado, (cassava grains, beans and maize), was his prescription at the time.
Not too long after the “Abeokuta Declaration,” Tinubu at an event in Owerri in the South East as part of his campaigns, trailed off his script. He spoke about a townhall different from balablu blublu bulaba, which was not captured in his prepared text. The expression caught like wildfire and assumed a life of its own. Skit makers spontaneously feasted on it and came up with ingenious, hilarious copies of versions, calculated to throw barbs in the direction of APC presidential frontman. The phrase was adopted in Nigeria’s ever evolving specie of the English language to describe anything bewildering, confusing, fuzzy, perplexing.
The frontline media aides to President Tinubu are very well established professionals. Bayo Onanuga, (Special Adviser, Information and Strategy); Tunde Rahman, (Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media), and more recently Sunday Dare, (Special Adviser, Public Communication and Orientation), come to their schedules with lorry loads of cognate newsroom experience at the highest levels. Onanuga and friends founded the irrepressible TheNews magazine and PM News, which gave the administration of General Sani Abacha a good run in the mid-1990s by the way. He went all the way to serve as Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN), under the Buhari government.
Rahman worked at different times in the Daily Times,The Punch and Thisday. He indeed floated a private enterprise, Western Post, which he conceived to fill the lacuna created by the liquidation of Daily Sketch, a quasi-rival to the Nigerian Tribune, in the once-upon-a-time Ibadan media space. I was a gratis contributing editor to the venture. Dare, who is multilingual having been raised in the north of Nigeria, once headed the Hausa service of the Voice of America, (VOA). He cut his professional teeth under Onanuga and the co-founders of TheNews magazine. Such is the quality of media specialists in this tripod, available to support President Tinubu.
In the aftermath of the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Media, a list of over one dozen appointees has been making the rounds. It features the names and designations of these many aides whose functions devolve around communicating the President and boosting his corporate profile. For the avoidance of doubt, with the exclusion of Onanuga, Rahman, Dare and Bwala, the list reads thus: Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (Senior Special Assistant to the President, Print Media); O’tega Ogra (Senior Special Assistant (Digital/New Media) and Tope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Public Affairs).
There are also Segun Dada (Special Assistant, Social Media); Nosa Asemota (Special Assistant, Visual Communication); Fela Durotoye (Senior Special Assistant to the President, National Values and Social Justice) and Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President, Public Engagement). Also on the list are Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President, Strategic Communications) and Aliyu Audu (Special Assistant to the President, Public Affairs). The last time I checked, there still is a civil service component to the media office in the State House, who are restricted to drafting press releases to be signed by the bigger bosses, eternally relegating them to anonymity. The list above does not include the nation’s Number One “salesman,” the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi. It also does not feature the media operatives in the wing of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
You go through this list and your mind exhumes scenes from the very engaging sitcom, Fuji House of Commotion, hitherto aired regularly on national television. At its very centre was Chief Fuji, very ably acted by the renowned thespian, Kunle Bamtefa. Chief Fuji was married to four wives, some from sociocultural backgrounds different from his. Children filled the home, generating sustained intra-family bedlam. Not forgetting members of the extended family as well as family friends who stopped by on visits, contributing to the subsisting confusion. It was sure to be inevitable cacophony every single day with such a family configuration.
This subsisting presidential apparachik for public communication is a potential babel, the way it is. It is indeed a subtle prescription for possible dysfunction especially if the appointees work at cross purposes. True, there is an attempt at streamlining specialties in the present order, with novel creations like “visual communication,” “digital/new media,” “strategic communication,” “national values and social justice,” among others. Truth, however, is that this skinning and shredding of the flesh of the overarching schedule of presidential communication is susceptible to being counter-productive. There are glaring titular duplications and inevitable overlaps which could be latently combustible. Have we forgotten the proverb about “too many cooks spoiling the broth?”
Back in May, I wrote an essay titled: Wanted: A State of Emergency on the Cost of Governance. Therein, I canvassed moderation in the open-ended spree of political appointments, and the freestyle expansion of ministries, departments and agencies, (MDAs). All of these overburden the aggregate cost of governance, with specific regards to emoluments and overheads, to the detriment of tangible investment in infrastructures and services to drive socio-economic development. This is even as the federal government once committed to the implementation of the decade old “Stephen Oronsaye Report on the Reorganisation of Agencies and Parastatals,” which is yet to be implemented. We cannot continue to canvas foreign aid and loans, while mortgaging the futures of our children, without rethinking our penchant for rabid, voluptuous consumptiveness. Not forgetting our penchant for living large, living grand, as we would have seen in one video post which trended weeks ago, highlighting the bourgeois arrival of Senate President Godswill Akpabio to a routine session of the national assembly.
And why wouldn’t the President trust the tested Onanuga – Rahman – Dare triumvirate to headline his media marketing? True, Onanuga can contribute equally meaningfully to Tinubu’s government elsewhere having been on the media beat for over four decades now. He could as well be cooling off in the padded ambience of an ambassadorial role. This, however, does not detract from his proven capacities and qualities. About time for the President to rethink and reconfigure his media and communications ecosystem, en route to repositioning his administration for less wastage, and more impactful service delivery to his primary constituents. Every new appointment exacerbates our subsisting nightmarish indebtedness to shylocks across the world, and further pauperises our people.
Tunde Olusunle, PhD, a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), teaches Creative Writing at the University of Abuja
Sixty eight political associates of former governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki have been granted an injunction against the Nigerian Police from being arrested over a petition submitted by the Acting State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) submitted in July this year pending the determination of the case. They included political appointees, local government area chairmen, aides and others.
The suit was marked B/266M/2024, with the of them as applicants and the Inspector General of Police,the Commissioner of Police, Edo State, Deputy Inspector Police (Force CID Abuja) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) as respondents. It was filed before the Edo State High Court,through their counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi SAN,who sought for an interim Injunction against their arrest. Granting their prayers,Justice A. T. Momodu ruled that “an order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the respondents either by themselves,police officers in their department and/or any police officer acting under their instruction from inviting, arresting and detaining the applicants in any of respondents office, in respect of the petition written by the chairman of All Progressives Congress (Edo State) dated 18/07/2024 to the 1st respondent pending the hearing and determination of the originating Motion filed by the applicant’s in the enforcement of their fundamental human right.
“It is further ordered that the enrolled order of The order be served along with the originating motion on the respondents”he added.
The Police Service Commission has expressed its satisfaction on the performance of the security personnel who policed the Ondo State Governorship election that held today in the state.The Commission staff Monitors report shows that the security men, especially the Police arrived voting centres on time and was alive to their constitutional responsibility of securing the election space. Commission Monitors said the Police Officers were polite, civil but firm in the conduct of their electoral duties. According to a statement signed by Ikechukwuu Ani, DIG Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force CID, and, who presided over the security management of the election ensured a seamless deployment of security personnel with Commissioners of Police manning all the Local Government Areas.
He was assisted by other senior Police Officers including the AIG Zone 7, AIG Benneth Igwe, the Ondo state Commissioner of Police, CP Abayomi Oladipo Peter and Olatunji Disu, CP, Federal Capital Territory. There were however reports of pockets of vote buying in some voting centres which has become a recurring decimal in elections in the country.PSC Monitors report that the election security was generally credible and above average and has received the commendation of the Civil Society Situation Room. CLEEN FOUNDATION, Member of the Situation Room has also commended the Commission for its proactive oversight of Police conduct during elections.
“I don’t have to wait until Inauguration Day on January 20,” former President Donald Trump declared at a rally in Nevada, promising to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on election night to initiate peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine.“I’m going to start working on that the day we hopefully win, which is November 5th, in the evening,” Trump stated.He added, “On the evening of November 5th, I will call Putin.
I will call Zelensky and say, ‘We need to stop this.’”“I aim to get this resolved as president-elect,” Trump asserted. “That will give me plenty of credibility. I don’t need to wait until January 20th. I plan to act sooner.”At 78, Trump has consistently maintained that he could negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in just one day.
The 45th president recently met with Zelensky at Trump Tower in Manhattan and emphasized his “very good relationship” with the Ukrainian leader.According to journalist Bob Woodward, Trump has had “as many as seven” conversations with Putin since leaving the White House less than four years ago.“Sadly, there’s zero chance Putin would have invaded Ukraine if I were president,” Trump remarked on Thursday night. “Zero chance. What a shame that is.”
BREAKING: Kamala Harris Vows To Legalise Marijuana If Elected 47th President Of United States —The United States Vice President and Democratic Party’s candidate, Kamala Harris has promised to legalise recreational marijuana if elected president. The Genius Media Nigeria reports that Sse also promised to create opportunities for Americans to succeed in the marijuana industry.Harris disclosed this in a statement on her X handle recently.
She wrote, “I will legalize recreational marijuana, break down unjust legal barriers, and create opportunities for all Americans to succeed in this new industry.”Kamala Harris will face former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party in tomorrow’s election.She emerged as the Democratic Party’s candidate after President Joe Biden stepped down as the party’s candidate in July and endorsed her.
A cross-section of American celebrities, including Beyoncé, Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande and a host of others have endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
X-RAYING TUNDE OLUSUNLE’s NEW TWIN LITERARY OFFERINGS
Poet, reporter, columnist, editor, communications scholar, literary critic and engaging polemicist among others, Dr Tunde Olusunle has been an enduring and value adding presence on Nigeria’s intellectual and imaginative landscape over the last three decades. The energetic and unflagging public intellectual has engaged in vigorous public discourse and sought to contribute his quota to shaping the direction of the national course through prolific commentary in diverse newspapers, magazines, online publications, social media idea contestations and less popularly visible contributions to peer-reviewed scholarly journals.
He has recently added two new muscular essay collections to his previous publications which include three acclaimed volumes of poetry and two collections of essays on the international peregrinations and diplomatic forays of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in office as well as on the life and times of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who has been a relentless but so far unsuccessful contender for the presidency of Nigeria, respectively.The first offering titled *Toasts, Tributes and Wreaths* comprises his tributes and commentaries on nearly 50 distinguished Nigerians across disciplinary boundaries – academia, politics, governance, diplomacy, the military, business, media, the civil service etc – on diverse occasions including milestone birthdays, notable professional attainments, honours conferment and, of course, transitions from our earthly realm of existence. *Running into 308 pages,* the volume is subdivided into three sections: ‘Birthdays and Champagne poppings;’ ‘Recognitions, Honours and Landmarks’ and ‘Requiems and Epitaphs.’I conceptualize these essays as snapshot mini-biographies of the various personalities focused on which portray and illustrate why their lives and accomplishments are indispensable to any credible rendering of the sociopolitical and intellectual history of contemporary Nigeria. The collection reminds me of a memorable lecture to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the defunct Daily Times delivered years ago by the late Dr Stanley Macebuh and titled *
A few good men and women.* The celebrated scholar and consummate columnist vividly sketched the trajectories of distinguished journalists and administrators who had traversed the terrain of the then veritable octopus of Nigeria’s media industry and left indelible imprints not just on the newspaper but also the nation’s social consciousness and collective memory. In a similar vein, Olusunle’s *Toasts, Tributes and Wreaths* reminds us that, despite the many ills plaguing our country which we lament on a daily basis, there are still a good number of men and women who by their character and demonstrable virtues constitute the salt of the Nigerian earth and whose examples can help facilitate the redemptive quest for a new Nigeria.As Olusunle writes in his preface , “This potpourri of subjects by way of champagne-popping on birthdays, merited honours and recognitions, as well as inevitable requiems and epitaphs, have informed this body of essays. I imagine I met about 70 percent of the subjects featured here on a one-on-one basis, at various times, across time and space.
There were instances where I never previously interfaced with the people I wrote about but whose stories and histories nonetheless struck a chord in me. I therefore depended on available research capital about them to ensure empirical validity as much as possible.”And as *Omotayo Oloruntoba-Ojo, Professor of Literature,* notes in the foreword *Toasts, Tributes and Wreaths* is not just a book, it is a celebration of life, an acknowledgment of achievement, a poignant reminder of the transient nature of our existence and the need to leave memorable imprints during its sometimes very short course. I am confident that, like myself, you will find inspiration and multiple reasons for introspection within these pages.”From the work scrutinized above, Dr Olusunle moves to more contentious, partisan terrain in his second offering titled *Orisirisi: Vistas on Contemporary Politics in Nigeria.* Spanning *466 pages,* the book is compartmentalized into ten sections focusing among others on state politics, governance and the governed, rulers and impunity as well as issues of crime and punishment in Nigeria with regard to sacred cows and selective justice.
Other sections feature essays on the travails of tertiary education in Nigeria, the challenges of insecurity in ‘The unsecured state’, the depraved politics and deterioration of infrastructure in his native Okunland in Kogi State and matters concerning literature and the literary.Of course, having served as a political appointee at various levels first in Kogi State and later as Senior Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, Olusunle offers more than a detached, armchair analysis of politics.
He is also a keen participant observer with useful insights into the actions and motivations of political actors and the intricacies of public administration. Yet, it is indisputable that the author writes from an essentially partisan standpoint as a member and sympathizer of the PDP and an unrepentant loyalist of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Consequently, he hardly sees anything wrong with the politics of the former Vice President while he is unsparingly scathing in his criticism of the *Wazirin Adamawa’s* adversaries within and outside the PDP. But whether you agree with him or not, it is difficult to dispute *Professor Omotayo Oloruntoba-Oju’s* submission that Olusunle’s writings encapsulate “narrative eloquence’ and combine a unique blend of research, journalism and prosaic communication skills” which are “a testament to versatility and depth.” The positive values which the author celebrates copiously in his *Toasts, Tributes and Wreaths* are largely absent in the actors that feature in his political rumination which is why he laments the corruption, impunity, lack of vision, ineptness and mediocrity characteristic of our politics across party lines even if his biting barbs are directed mostly at opponents of the PDP.
As the nation grapples with the current global economic melt down, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd, mni has xrayed the importance of Cooperative Societies in the improvement of the living standards of Commission Staff.
DIG Argungu this morning, Friday, October 25th 2024, spoke to Members of the PSC Cooperative Society and Management Staff of the Commission where he admonished Members to imbibe the Cooperative motto to live by and to make life better, stressing ” it can be something that encourages you when things are tough, or it can be a reminder to stay positive and on track”.
The PSC Chairman said with the Cooperative Society, it is “each for all and all for each” and self help through mutual aid”
He noted that Cooperative Societies in Nigeria have tremendously improved the living standards of their Members through provision of skills, training and development aspects, job opportunities and financial assistance by reducing the poverty level of its Members and Communities.
The PSC Chairman told his audience that Cooperative Societies encourage joint entrepreneurship, forster healthy competition, help fight inflation, teach morality and enhances skill improvement.
He said it also assists in improving quality of life, promote employment, reduce poverty and promote social and economic development on a national scale amongst other core benefits.
He encouraged PSC staff to believe and promote the ideals of Cooperatives stressing that it is a veritable tool to survive in this trying times.
