The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd mni, has called on Nigerians to use this solemn period of the Ramadan fast to pray for the survival of our nation and for proper guidance of our leaders.
DIG Argungu also called for a renewed commitment to nation building and prayed that Allah should shower Nigerians with His mercy, love and forgiveness.
A signed statement by Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission’s Head, Press And Public Relations, said that the PSC Chairman wished Nigerians a peaceful and blessed Ramadan, adding “may our prayers for our country and its leaders be answered and may this fast bring us closer to Allah”.
He enjoined the Staff of the Police Service Commission and Officers and Men of the Nigeria Police Force to take advantage of this period to renew their faith in Allah and our nation Nigeria.
He noted that the journey to a greater Nigeria has begun and called for total support from Nigerians for our leaders at all levels.
Before now it was a gory tale, wanton destruction of lives and property. Live was no longer safe for residents, visitors and those passing the state to other states of the country as armed hoodlums, terrorists, kidnappers and members of the dreaded IPOB held everyone by the jugular. That sordid situation is drastically becoming a thing of the past.The good news is courtesy of the new police chief posted to Anambra state last month by the Inspector-general of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun. The police chief, CP Livingsteon Ikioye Orutugu is a tested, shrewd and mercurial police officer who abhor corruption; always at his best when confronted with operational issues. He proved this for several years when he was a unit commander and later squadron commander of the police anti-riot unit.
Orutugu, an impecable no-nonsense officer for a longtime proved his worth in Lagos some 20 years back. While some of his colleagues ran away from crises spots, Orutugu swiftly moved to such places with his crack surbordinates to quel riotous situation. He’s a gallant officer always on alert.
Stakeholders in security matters, crime reporters were not surprised when the police high command in Abuja deployed him to bring sanity to Anambra , a state that over the years, ranked as one the first three commercial hubs of Nigeria before the incursion of criminals to the state. As a seasoned crime stopper, Orutugu, on his deployment, embarked on a proactive measure by reaching out to everyone. This is an attempt to make the maxim of “Security is everybody business” not only enforcable, but a reality. The synergy between the police chief with stakeholders is yeilding fruits as residents and visitors now sleep with their two eyes closed.This is not unconnected with Orutugu’s unwavering commitments to fostering collaboration with relevant bodies . At least, those in the state could say in all equanimity that cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, attacks on people in their homes or on the roads , the activities of IPOB members have been reduced drastically in this past three weeks. To a resident, Mr Sunday Ifeanyi, ” we want to see how long the peace that pervades in Onitsha where i reside and do business will last. My brother in Nnewi equally informed us that things in our home town are changing for better, as people in Nnewi now go about their l business activities unattacked by hoodlums or molested by miscreants or terrorists”.
A driver plying Onitsha Benin-city route, David Okounzua told Newstower.ng that they (drivers) and other motorists no longer entertain fear while coming to the commercial city. “I want the Edo and Delta states police to replicate what is happening in Anambra state in these states” said Okunzua. In his snergy with other sisters’ agencies and relevant bodies, Orutugu has paid courtesy visits to FRSC, NSCDC and RRS outfit in Okuzu. All about his collaborative efforts At NSCDC, he said his visit is to foster stronger inter-agency collaboration in tackling security challenges within the state. Orutugu emphasized the need for seamless cordination, intelligence sharing and resume integration among security agencies to enhance public safety and sustain ongoing joint operations in critical areas of the state. Because of his approach towards collective security, the Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Slyvia Chika Ifemeje, had paid him a visit at his Akwa office. Orutugu commended the State Government for setting up Bureau of Missing Persons. He pledged the Command support in providing neccessary assistance to make sure the Bureau’s objective is achieved.
Not left out of the numerous government functionaries willing to syergize with the state police command under the able leadership of Orutugu, is the Mimistry of Women Affairs. Orutugu tasked the officials who came calling to his office to discourage crime and criminalty among youths, promote safer society. He underscored critical role mothers play in shapping societal values. Also, meeting with the Executives of The Police Campaign Against Cultism And Other Vices, the police boss charged the members to redouble their efforts in sustaining advocacy to discourage the youths in the state from joining bag grouos. He pledged to support the Campaign as he said his administration is already in contact with relevant agencies in the state to roll initiatives that would instl values, morals and character traits among the youths. To new recruits, Orutugu has a word for them, they either obey the rules and regulations of the force, or seek career elsewhere.
The Police Service Commission has approved the appointment of AIG Sulieman Amuda Yusuf, AIG incharge of Zone 9 Umuahia and AIG Rhoda Adetutu Olofu, Force Secretary as Deputy Inspectors General of Police.AIG Yusuf and AIG Olofu are appointed to occupy the vacancies created by the retirement of the Deputy Inspectors General in charge of Operations and Information and Communication Technology.
They are also the most senior Officers representing the North Central Geo-political zone in the Nigeria Police Force.The two senior Police Officers have also maintained clean service records and the Commission notes that their promotion will serve as an incentive and motivating factor for improved performance. AIG Yusuf was until his appointment the AIG Zone 9 Umuahia, former AIG Fed Ops Force Headquarters and Commissioner of Police Taraba State.
He also served as CP Police Mobile Force; Deputy Commandant, Police College Kaduna and Oji River respectively; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Jigawa State and Assistant Commissioner, CIID. Bauchi state Command.AIG Rhoda Adetutu Olofu was until this appointment, the Force Secretary, was former AIG Maritime Police Command, Lagos; Commissioner of Police Ports Authority Police Western Ports Command; CP X- Squad, Force CID; and CP Servicom, Department of Research and Planning.She also served as Deputy Commissioner of Police Research and Planning; DCP Admin, Department of Training and Development; DCP Investment, Department of Logistics and Supply and Assistant Commissioner Establishment, Force Secretary’s office.She was appointed a Cadet Assistant Superintendent on 3rd of March 1990 and was trained at the Police Academy where AIG Yusuf was also trained.
Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd mni, congratulated the new DIGs for attaining this height in their meritorious career in the Nigeria Police Force.He urged them to remember to give back to the Force either in service or in retirement as their experience would remain valuable to the growth of the Nigeria Police Force.DIG Argungu reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensure that Police Officers are promoted as and when due and that these promotions would be based on merit.The Commission’s decision has been conveyed to the Inspector General of Police for implementation.
The Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu, fwc MNIPS, PhD, on 12th February 2025 received in audience the Commissioner for Justice/Attorney General of the State Professor (Mrs) Sylvia Chika Ifemeje with her entourage.
The familiarization visit aims to discuss on speedy prosecution of cases as well as the willingness of the Anambra State Police Command to collaborate with the key players in the administrative justice system in providing accurate evidence on cases and ensuring that justice is served swiftly and efficiently.
The Commissioner of Police also commended the State Government for establishing the Bureau of Missing Persons and pledged the Command’s support in providing necessary assistance to make sure the bureau’s objective is achieved.
According to the Command spokesman , SP Tochuku Ikenga, the Commissioner of Police and his Management Team received the Attorney General and her entourage that includes: Mrs. Ndirika Onyekwelu Esq – Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice, Mrs Nneka Umeozulu Esq – Director for Public Prosecution, Franklin Akunekwe Esq – Senior State Counsel/Personal Assistant to the Attorney General and Mrs Chinelo Okeke – PRO Ministry of Justice.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, MNIPS, fwc, PhD, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Anambra State Police Command to addressing the root causes of crime among youths through strategic partnerships. In furtherance of this objective, CP Orutugu is collaborating with the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs to discourage criminal tendencies among young people and foster a safer and more secure environment for all residents of the state.
During a courtesy visit by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, and her entourage, CP Orutugu underscored the critical role women play in shaping societal values. He highlighted the importance of women as caregivers and educators, emphasizing their influence in instilling discipline, morality, and positive values in children, which ultimately impacts crime prevention.
The partnership between the Police Command and the Ministry of Women Affairs will focus on providing resources and programs to empower women in nurturing and educating children effectively,encouraging women’s active participation in community initiatives that enhance social cohesion and stability and collaborating with women-led organizations to develop crime prevention strategies and promote public safety.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga ,disclosed that the Anambra State Police Command remains steadfast in its resolve to engage relevant stakeholders in building a crime-free society. The Command urges all residents to support these initiatives by fostering environments that discourage criminal behavior and uphold law and order.
Quote:” This is not a challenge for the government alone. All of us are stakeholders.on this issue…The future of Nigeria belongs to all of us”– Gen. Buba Marwa ( retd), ( Chairman /CEO of NDLEA at the Business Luncheon with Island Club in Lagos, November,2024 )
Persisting as a clear and present danger, and worsening over the decades is the critical challenge of both drug trafficking and its abuse, here in Nigeria. With the trading in and addiction to hard drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, LSD and ecstasy, especially by some rudderless youth the consequences are dire for the country. In addition, NDLEA has warned against dangerous new drugs tagged ‘ Suck and Die’ and ‘ Rubber Solution ‘, that have become the favorites of the young addicts. That was a news headline on January 23, 2025.
Not left out is the recent warning given by NAFDAC that as many as 14.3 million Nigerians are affected by drug abuse!In fact, as Marwa has rightly noted the fight against the sales and abuse of such hard drugs, including the abuse of alcohol and cannabis cannot be left in the hands of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) alone. A holistic approach has become a necessity.It is therefore, worthy of note that over the past three years the NDLEA has arrested over 52,901 drug traffickers, including 52 drug barons, seized 8.6 million kilograms of illicit drugs and secured 9,034 convictions. It has in addition destroyed over 1,572 hectres of cannabis farms across the country. Phenomenal achievements, is it not? Of course, it is!On record is that between that November 2024 and today the news media has been awash with mind-boggling seizures of hard drugs and their kingpins. Such headlines include: “Four Nigerians Arrested with 39 kg of Cocaine in Saudi Arabia”. That was in December 2024. Next was the news item which stated that: ” NDLEA Seizes Six Vehicles,40 feet Trailer Loaded with Skunk in Midnight Raid in Abuja “.And on January 18, this year it was that of: ” NDLEA Apprehends 366 Traffickers, 1.560 Seizes of Drugs in Enugu”. Furthermore, it was revealed that same month that the anti-drug Federal Government Agency intercepted N134.2 billion worth of drugs at the Tincan Island,Port Command. Another report by stated that the NDLEA intercepted UK-bound illicit drug consignment hidden in duvet at the Lagos airport and arrested two suspects.Still in January of this year was that of a businessman, escaping death after surgery to expel cocaine in his stomach as the Agency intercepted skunk from Ghana.
That was before the news item that went viral on social media that: “Drug Bust: NDLEA Seizes Massive Tramadol Haul, Arests Four “. Beyond listing all these horrifying tales of drug trafficking, is the all-important question of how the NDLEA is able to achieve these feats and what lessons agencies, organization and individuals can glean from them.Lest we deceive ourselves the answer is predicated on the leadership paradigm and unfailing principle of success. An insight into the persona of Buba Marwa would provide the answers. According to NDLEA ‘s Director of Media and Advocacy, ace journalist Femi Babafemi, while paying a tribute titled: ” Marwa: A Legend at 69″ highlighted the qualities of courage, being strategic, always believing in and aptly prioritizing and demonstrating workers’ welfare as a motivational force. He is also a sticker to innovation and one who plans well and of course, he is a commendable team leader.As Babafemi aptly stated about Marwa’s driving philosophies: ” One, where other leaders are overcautious of taking a radical step, Marwa does not dither, if the situation calls for it.” To bolster his assertion he mentioned how he created six new directorates, 14 Zonal commands, and a tactical unit of Strike Forces”.
Furthermore, he does not go on a wild goose chase. “His every action is strategic and calculated to deliver results “. And from the motivational perspective: ” His philosophy has always been that organizational goals are easily achieved when the workforce gives its best and such comes from happy workers”. All these sterling qualities have underscored the wonderful achievements so far recorded under his watch at the NDLEA. Other Nigerian leaders – overseeing both the political and economic spectrum should glean from his selfless service to the fatherland.Kudos also goes to the staff of the NDLEA, firstly for firmly believing in the vision of the agency and keying into it. But with regards to recent scary story of a newly wedded official of the agency who was burnt alive in Kaduna, while on duty and another one of the clash between the police and members of NDLEA the new challenge before Marwa is that of the safety of the workers. They should not become an endangered specie because of attacks from the drug barons and their supporters. Going forward, with the warning given by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, projecting a 40 % increase in drug use across Africa by 2030 due to population growth, the time for all of us as stakeholders to assist NDLEA to help us out is right now.
Doing so, and with the mass enlightenment on the dangers of drug abuse, especially to our young minds, through schools, churches, mosques, community meetings, would stem the rising tides of both drug trafficking and its abuse.It has become necessary for us all to understand the health implications of drug abuse. With dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates emotions, motivation and illusionary feeling of pleasure it affects choices made leading to constant cravings and substance abuse. Also, addiction to these drugs cause challenges to the lung and heart, leading to lung cancer and stroke. It also results in disabilities and eventually death. Prevention will therefore, be better than cure and the time for each of us to play our part is now.
The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd mni, has reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering support for initiatives that prioritise the capacity building of Police Officers.
DIG Argungu spoke at an ongoing three-day workshop on Interpol organized by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau (NBC) Abuja. He spoke on a paper titled “Strenghtening Internal Security: A path to Safer Nigeria”
DIG Argungu said the workshop would be of great assistance to the Law Enforcement Agents in the area of intelligence gathering, investigation and collection of electronic evidence of transnational organized crime and corruption.
He noted that security has taken a new dimension in this 21st century as the challenges and threats are no longer primarily coming from the conventional (traditional ) factors of the usual narrative of unemployment, poverty, out of school children etc.
The PSC Chairman said the key challenges and threats that Nigeria is undergoing right now includes the social media.
He reiterated that we should also bear in mind that our present way of Information and Intelligence gathering ” is already obsolete and ineffective in today’s digital world. The old regulations appear to be uncertain and also it is becoming harder for the regulations to keep up with technology “.
DIG Argungu said it is a known fact that in this modern time, international terrorists take the whole world as their field of operations whereas “Police and law enforcement systems belong to particular nations and thus are confined within the borders of their respective countries”.
He noted that transnational offenders often exploit the legal tradition of sovereignty of nations, and as a result, national boundaries frequently provide them with an effective means for avoidance of the law or for escape.
He explained that INTERPOL as an international Institution embodies the idea of multinational Police Cooperation against transnational criminal offences such as money laundering; Drugs; illicit trafficking in arms, stolen art, bank and other forms of financial fraud; White slavery; murder; robbery and counterfeiting”.
The PSC Chairman said the National Police via INTERPOL serve as an alternative remedy to real and potential security challenges and threats.
While affirming Commission’s support for the initiatives, Argungu remarked ” we are confident that the outcomes of this workshop will translate into actionable policies, strenghtened inter-Agency synergy and a renewed public trust in our security institutions “.
” As we embark on these deliberations, let us unite under a common vision: a Nigeria where every citizen thrives in safety and dignity; together we can turn this vision into reality” he concluded.
At least, four retired police chiefs now in the legal profession have offered to render free legal service to over 197 police officers recently retired by the Police Service Commission, PSC, over alleged falsification of their ages, attainment of 60 years, 35 years of service and Force Entrants Appointment Date. One of the four lawyers, a retired Assistant Inspector-general of Police, AIG, with his Chambers in Abuja, told some selected Journalists on condition of anonymity that the need to render Free Legal Services to the affected officers by him and his colleagues was not unconnected with various injustices some of them suffered while they were serving members of the Force.He said they were particularly concerned about those of courses 18,19 and 20, stressing that an Appeal Court had ruled in favour of the officers in 2017.
He disclosed that since injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, he and his colleagues have no option than to join the formidable legal team of the sacked officers to seek justice for the affected officers.The retired AIG further said that he has taken into consideration that most of the officers forcefully retired by the PSC under the leadership of retired DIG Hashimu Argungu, are seasoned police chiefs with great wealth of experiences and as such, such experiences should not be wasted.It will be recall that last month, the PSC ordered over 197 police officers to proceed on compulsory retirement.
The Federal Government has been urged to acknowledge and honour the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the man behind the credibility of the annulled June 12, 1993, election.Retired Archbishop of Enugu Province (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, made the call yesterday in Enugu while also demanding that former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), be prosecuted for the injustices he confessed to committing against Nigeria.Nwosu, who chaired the then National Electoral Commission (NEC) and conducted the historic June 12 election annulled by Babangida, passed away on October 24, 2024, without receiving any national recognition for his patriotic service.
He is set to be buried on March 28.Reacting to Babangida’s confession at his recent book launch, Archbishop Chukwuma condemned the silence of the government and Nigerians on Nwosu, who he said played a key role in the election that is now celebrated as Democracy Day.“Now, Humphrey Nwosu is dead, and it has been acknowledged that he conducted Nigeria’s most credible election, yet no national honour was given to him.
Kingibe was honoured, Abiola was honoured, but the man who conducted the election was ignored. Nigeria has been unfair to Humphrey Nwosu,” Chukwuma stated.He called for a posthumous national award for Nwosu and urged the government to name a monument in his honour. He also insisted that the federal government must play a role in his burial.
On Babangida’s confession, Chukwuma dismissed it as insulting and unacceptable, saying:“All that Babangida said in his book, regretting or confessing that MKO Abiola won the June 12 election, is absolute rubbish! It is a great disappointment and an insult to Nigerians.“If I had my way, IBB should be jailed for making such a statement after taking the entire country for a ride.”He further criticized Babangida’s claim that annulling the election was for Nigeria’s good, calling it a blatant lie.His words: “Nigerians are suffering today because of bad leadership, and we still cannot conduct a credible election. Babangida’s confession comes too late—after the deaths of Abiola and Nwosu.
He must apologize to their families and to the Nigerian people.”The Archbishop urged President Bola Tinubu’s government to recognize Nwosu’s contributions to democracy, warning that failure to do so would show that the current administration is also complicit in undermining credible elections.
Mamman Vatsa Writers Village,* tucked amidst igneous rocks and ranges, vales and valleys in Abuja’s *Mpape District* is rapidly contesting the medal of Nigeria’s most vibrant headquarters of literary activity. The physical location of the ever-growing permanent headquarters of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA), was, for several decades after it was allocated to ANA in 1986, a forlorn wasteland. The soldier-poet, Mamman Jiya Vatsa, who was a member of the association and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA) in his time, was concerned about the serial mendicant nomadism of the association. ANA forever quested, cap in hand, for host states across the country, for its activities. Vatsa, an army General and poet himself, concurred with the request of ANA’s primordial leadership, for a settled operational address and allocated the present site, to the association. The bounteous parcel of land survived attempted takeovers by successive regimes and capricious trespassing.
These chopped off nearly half its original span of over 60 hectares. Under the leadership of Denja Abdullahi a few years ago, ANA secured partnership with *KMVL,* a construction firm headed by Kolawole Shaw, also a retired military officer, for the actualization of the dream of structured physical development of the hectarage. The breathtaking, still-in-progress complex, already features well paved, substantially tarred network of roads complete with drainages. There is a large auditorium, parking areas, secretariat, library, luxury suites, apartments, bars and African-themed gazebos. There are residential blocks by way of fully detached, semi-detached and terraced houses. There is even a modern shopping centre, as part of the enterprise of making the village self-sufficient.
The names of famous Nigerian writers echo from the doors and signages of structures and facilities, beginning with the revered African master storyteller, Chinua Achebe, after whom the conference centre is christened. The secretariat of the association pays tribute to Emeritus Professor Femi Osofisan, one of Africa’s most profound and most prolific dramatists. Suites in the residential area, voice the names of past leaders of ANA, notably Odia Ofeimun, Kole Omotoso, Abubakar Gimba, Olu Obafemi, Wale Okediran, Jerry Agada, Remi Raji and Denja Abdullahi. The two-storey standalone “writers residency” is tribute to the memory of former ANA President and Ogoni rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. A prominent playwright, novelist and essayist, Saro-Wiwa was, sadly, executed alongside eight others under the military government of Sani Abacha in 1995.
They were allegedly complicit in the murder of four of their kinsmen, months earlier, a development which stirred restlessness in the oil producing area. The *Mamman Vatsa Writers Village* is rapidly assuming the status of the new *Mecca* for African literature, an evolving pearl of the continent. Between the monthly activities of the Abuja segment of ANA and the quarterly events organised by the national body, the writers’ facility is regularly kept alive. Literary juggernauts like Osofisan, Obafemi, Ofeimun, Ernest Emenyonu, Okediran, Raji, Abdullahi, Niyi Osundare, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Shamshudeen Amali, Idris Amali, Al-Bishak, Udenta Udenta and Sunnie Ododo, have been guests and pilgrims at the resort. Same for Tony Afejuku, Razinat Mohammed, Mabel Evwierhoma, Dul Johnson, Joe Ushie, Maria Ajima, Rasheed Na’Allah, Amanze Akpuda, Greg Mbajiorgu, Isiaka Aliagan, and indeed the recently transited literary luminary, Nuhu Yaqub.
The diaspora component of Nigeria’s formidable literary harvest, as well as foreign writers, are also regular callers at the village. Voices and laughters; “hi fives” and backslaps, typically activate and enliven the slumbering boulders and sleeping bedrocks in the commune, whenever literary adherents, pilgrimage. Saturday February 22, 2025, the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village hosted an unusual guest. The airwaves had become frenzied weeks and days before when it became public knowledge that the first President in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, Olusegun Obasanjo, would be the distinguished guest at the month’s edition of the regular reading and writer’s dialogue. The planning was competently steered by the Abuja zone of ANA, led by Chukwudi Eze, the veteran architect who designed the *Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library,* Abeokuta, Africa’s first such purpose-built resource. Obasanjo was to speak to the topic: *The Writer’s Role in Nation Building and Africa’s First Presidential Library.* Obasanjo’s life and career as a soldier; military Head of State; world statesman; death row prisoner; democratically elected President, traversing aeons and times, has spawned a luminous repertoire of books and publications. These include *My Command,* (1980); *Nzeogwu,* (1987); *Africa Embattled* (1988) and *Not My Will,* (1990). There are also *This Animal Called Man,* (1998), and *My Watch,* (2014), which is a hefty three-volume work.
To be doubly sure, Obasanjo’s oeuvre spans over two dozen books straddling several subjects and preoccupations.A three-man panel made up of Professors Emeka Aniagolu of Veritas University, Abuja; Razinat Mohammed, University of Abuja and Onyinye Nwagbara of the Nigerian Defence Academy, (NDA), were billed to engage with Obasanjo. The imminence of Obasanjo’s return flight, however, altered the plan. Obasanjo opted to speak to the first part of the topic, the role of the writer in nation building, deferring the discourse on the presidential library until another encounter. He decried the poor reading culture in Nigeria which is on the rise, and warned it could be antithetical to the preserved of the nation’s literary heritage. According to him, Nigeria has produced some of the world’s finest and most respected writers, a situation which he observed compels the evolution of new writers to sustain the trajectory. Obasanjo noted that despite the advantages provided by technological advancement, many youths do not apply themselves to the grindstone of rigorous reading and intellection. He noted that if this *laissez-faire* attitude is not corrected, it could backlash vis-a-vis the emergence of uninformed and incompetent leaders. The former President noted that the internet provides limitless opportunities which must be leveraged by the younger generation.
His words: “Many of them no longer do serious reading. Reading makes an effective and productive human being. A reader is a leader, a leader must not necessarily be a writer but must be a reader to be up to speed with trends and happenings.”Speaking further, Obasanjo noted that “Nigeria is blessed with good writers who have used their craft in nation building and one of such distinguished authors is Chinua Achebe. He showcased Nigeria’s culture to the world and elevated our culture in his writings.” The former President charged the youths to take bold steps in shaping their own futures rather than wait for opportunities to drop on their laps. He noted that the recurring mismanagement of the nation’s human and material resources were at the roots of the nation’s travails. He canvassed the application of political will in the nation’s policy formulation and execution, noting that limited bureaucratese in military dispensations was instrumental to better effectiveness under martial rulership. He commended ANA for its impressive work in developing the writers village and in championing initiatives to inspire up and coming writers. ANA Abuja Chairman, Chukwudi Eze noted that the power of writing is evident in the motivational phrase: “Give me liberty or give me death,” which birthed the American revolution and built the nation into a global colossus. He thanked Obasanjo for according him the special privilege of designing the Abeokuta-based presidential library. He applauded Obasanjo’s initiation of the *Africa Leadership Forum,* (ALF) back in the days, which sought to broaden the worldview of the continent’s potential leaders.
Eze expressed the hope that Nigerian leaders across levels will emulate Obasanjo’s uncommon Pan-Nigerianism and the placement of competence and merit, over and above clannish parochialism. ANA National President, Usman Oladipo Akanbi who flew in from Ilorin for the programme, thanked Obasanjo for the honour done to the association by his keeping a date with the writers body like he promised. The gesture, he noted will spur the association to greater heights. Akanbi noted that the former President indeed brightened the weekend of youths and teenage students who attended the event, who never believed they would ever see him in flesh and blood. Former Minister of the FCTA, Muhammad Abba-Gana, CON, who attended the event, commended Obasanjo for liberalising property ownership in Abuja by approving the mass housing scheme, proposed during his period in office as Minister. He observed that before Obasanjo’s coming, workers were predominantly resident in faraway communities and had to commute through the stress of heavy vehicular traffic to the city centre everyday, and back home. Abba Gana acknowledged Obasanjo’s courageous liquidation of Nigeria’s foreign financial commitments and his bequeathal of a very robust foreign reserve to the successor administration.
Senator Shehu Sani who shared the same section of a jailhouse with Obasanjo when they were both incarcerated by former military leader, Sani Abacha, was equally in attendance. A published author himself, he applauded Nigerian authors for deploying their creativity to drive societal change towards the attainment of an egalitarian nation. Jerry Alagbaoso, a former Member of the House of Representatives and prolific playwright; former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Shamshudeen Amali, and Obasanjo’s private secretary during his stint as military Head of State, Ambassador Albert Omotayo, were also at the programme. The Chinese Embassy was represented at the gathering by a three-man delegation led by Yang Jianxing, the Cultural Counsellor and Director of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Nigeria. Al Bishak, Vicky Sylvester Molemodile, Professors at the Federal University Lafia and the University of Abuja, respectively, and Colonel Shaw, lead developer of the ANA behemoth and member of the association by adoption, were also present.
Etim Oqua, a retired police Commissioner and Otunba Abiodun Fagboun, graced the occasion. On Obasanjo’s entourage were his longstanding ally, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe and Obasanjo’s children, Obabiyi, and Funke. Obasanjo received an ANA-branded commemorative souvenir presented by Usman Akanbi, in recognition of his untiring contributions to national development, through the decades.
Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja
