Amberly01: Business magnate and entertainment executive Soso Soberekon has lauded High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) for his exceptional show of support to the Delta State Security Trust Fund, during its relaunch at the Government House, Asaba.
In his statement, Soberekon described Tompolo’s gesture as “a beautiful reflection of true leadership, selflessness, and genuine commitment to the peace and progress of Delta State and the entire Niger Delta region.”
He praised Tompolo for being “a man of action whose consistent devotion to protecting lives, securing vital national assets, and empowering local communities has continued to speak louder than words.”
Through his company, Tantita Security Nigeria Limited, Tompolo has not only enhanced regional security but has also created opportunities that uplift and inspire the people of the Niger Delta.
Soberekon further stated that “High Chief Tompolo represents the kind of leadership that transforms societies — firm yet compassionate, humble yet impactful. His legacy will continue to light the path for those who truly desire peace and sustainable development.”
He also called on other well-meaning Nigerians, private organizations, and community leaders to emulate Tompolo’s noble example by supporting initiatives that foster peace, strengthen security, and drive meaningful growth across the Niger Delta.
That's a huge donation. He's now in the big league of Naira billionaires. I remember over 16 years ago when Tompolo was busting pipelines and taking crude oils for resale and he was declared WANTED man by the Federal Government in addition to the subsequent bombing of Gbaramatu by the Nigerian Aircorce under the orders of former President Umaru Yar'Adua in search of Tompolo and his armed boys operating in the creeks.
Did the Oyo empire and Ife kingdom really have no writing at all??
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Excellent question — and I’m glad you asked it so directly, because the idea that Oyo and Ifẹ had “no writing at all” is one of those deep colonial-era misconceptions that lingers in modern education.
The truth is much more complex — and far more interesting.
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1. Ifẹ and Oyo absolutely had systems of record and encoded communication.
They may not have used paper alphabets like Latin or Arabic, but they possessed indigenous writing forms, mnemonic devices, and symbolic scripts deeply tied to their cosmology and governance.
Ifá Divination Script (Odu Ifá) is the clearest example:
The 256 Odù are binary mathematical codes — open and closed marks made with palm nuts or divining chains (opele). Each Odù represents a vast corpus of verses, proverbs, and teachings — effectively an oral library indexed through a digital system.
Scholars such as Wande Abimbola, Sophie Oluwole, and William Bascom have all described Ifá as an intellectual archive comparable in structure to a written tradition.
That means Ifẹ possessed a writing system of a higher order — symbolic, algorithmic, and oral at once . It wasn’t “illiterate”; it was coded in living memory and binary pattern , rather than ink.
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2. Visual and Hieroglyphic Elements in Yoruba Art
Ifẹ and Oyo used visual languages that functioned as semi-writing systems:
Royal insignia, bead patterns, metalwork, and staff symbols encoded dynastic records and spiritual meanings — similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs but woven into regalia instead of walls.
Yoruba “talking drums” also formed a tonal writing system : drummers could recite entire proverbs, names, or histories through rhythm and pitch because Yoruba is a tonal language. In fact, early European visitors were astonished that drums could “speak.”
These are non-linear, multi-sensory literacies — something closer to multimedia encoding than alphabetic text.
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3. The Problem with Colonial Definitions of Writing
When Western scholars said “Africans had no writing,” they really meant “Africans didn’t use our alphabetic style of writing.” But writing is simply the externalization of thought in repeatable symbols. By that definition, Ifá divination marks, Nsibidi (used among Efik, Ibibio, Igbo), and Adinkra symbols in Akan culture are all legitimate scripts.
Yoruba civilization sat within a continent already filled with indigenous scripts:
Nsibidi in southeastern Nigeria Ajami (Arabic adaptation) among Hausa and Fulani scribes Meroitic in Nubia Tifinagh among the Amazigh (Berbers)
So there’s no doubt the Yoruba elite were familiar with both indigenous and foreign writing systems, even if their own record-keeping was sacred, mnemonic, or artistic rather than alphabetic.
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4. Ifẹ as the Intellectual Source of Orality and Symbol
Ife wasn’t “preliterate” — it was meta-literate.
Its priests and philosophers saw memory, rhythm, and pattern as living texts. Knowledge was never separated from spirit. When we read an Odù today, we are reading an encoded archive — not just words, but logic, ethics, mathematics, and cosmology embedded in pattern.
So to answer your question plainly:
> No, the Oyo Empire and the Ifẹ Kingdom did not lack writing. > They used writing systems that operated in different dimensions — binary, symbolic, sonic, and visual — and colonial eyes simply failed to recognize them as such.
yns4real: As the 2027 general elections approach, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is strengthening his political dominance in the South, following a wave of defections by governors and influential politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress.
The development has, however, ignited fears of a one-party state, with opposition leaders condemning the mass movement to the ruling party.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, dismissed the defections as acts of desperation by politicians seeking personal survival.
They declared that the “battle line is drawn,” vowing that Nigerians will “take their pound of flesh” at the polls by voting out President Tinubu APC for allegedly deepening the country’s hardship and decline.
The PUNCH gathered from top APC officials, who are privy to the ongoing political manoeuvring, that more governors from the South would soon declare for the ruling party.
On Tuesday, Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State defected from the PDP to the APC alongside the members of the State Executive Council.
Barely 24 hours later, another PDP governor, Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, resigned his party membership.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Daniel Alabrah, disclosed that Diri quit the party along with the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, and 21 other lawmakers.
The governor later confirmed his resignation during a State Executive Council meeting.
Diri’s departure from the PDP puts to rest months of speculation about his rumoured move to the APC, though Alabrah did not reveal his next political destination.
Diri’s resignation comes just days after the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, expressed concern over the growing number of governors and senior party figures crossing to the APC.
Party insiders hinted that Governors Siminalayi Fubara and Alex Otti of Rivers and Abia States may soon switch to the APC.
Also, Governors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) and Agbu Kefas of Taraba are reportedly warming up to join the Tinubu-led political camp ahead of 2027.
A senior party official disclosed that Otti, Fubara and Diri are set to defect to the APC, noting that several northern governors were equally preparing to join the ruling party.
He stated, “The APC is attracting them all. I am aware that discussions are ongoing with other PDP governors from the South. Soon, the governors of Abia, Rivers, and even Diri, who just resigned from the PDP, will join the APC.
“This development is not limited to the South, as some governors from the North, particularly the North Central and North East, are already finalising talks to join the ruling party.”
Another party insider explained that Kefas and Muftwang are set to defect to the APC soon.
He stated, “They just want to reduce the influence of the PDP. We are aware they are discussing with the Taraba and Plateau State governors, so they will join others in the APC.”
In recent months, the APC has continued to draw prominent members from the opposition parties, especially the PDP.
Notable defectors include Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and the PDP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa.
At present, out of the 17 states in Southern Nigeria, President Tinubu’s APC governs Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu.
The Labour Party controls Abia, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance is in charge of Anambra.
The PDP holds sway only in Oyo, Rivers, and Osun states, while Bayelsa is currently not under any party.
In the North, out of 19 states, the APC firmly controls 13 – Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, and Jigawa.
The PDP governs Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, and Bauchi, while the New Nigeria People’s Party remains in charge of Kano State.
Only the dividends of democracy such a good governance, security, the implantation of the constitutional amendments and lowering the cost of living can make these folks at all political levels to win reelections. The swelling of the camp of APC will NOT totally guarantee victory on election day. Period.
Christistruth00: Festac Land belongs to the Lagos State Government
The Buildings on them belong to the the FG
The Sokoto Jihad coveted Lagos, the king of Dahomey coveted Lagos, Azikiwe coveted Lagos, Ojukwu Coveted Lagos, it was Lagos Ipob attacked during Endsars,
They are eyeballing Lagos again
When you see certain people trying to rewrite the History of Lagos daily including with Art exhibition and their unrecognised Traditional Rulers you ought to Know what’s up and defend your homeland and heritage
What Art exhibition are you referencing in your post above?
zoedew: Emenike will do well to stop threatening an elected public officer in the person of the LASG Governor. You can lay a complaint without threats. You could get arrested for threatening people.
Chinua Achebe a prominent Igbo and a global literary icon had this to say about The Igbo, his kith and kin -"There is no doubt at all that there is a strand in contemporary Igbo behaviour that can offend; by its noisy exhibitionism and disregard for humility and quietness."
The Igbo will do well to not ignite ethnic tensions that generate ill wind that blows no one no good like it happened back then in Zaria and the North generally in the late ‘60s resulting in the Civil War that broke the Igbo. It would appear that the Igbo learnt nothing from the Civil War no thanks to Obasanjo who cancelled the study of History in Nigerian schools and robbed the younger generation of the opportunity to study the civil war. It is not unknown that the Igbo contravene building codes with impunity and are adept at buying up building approvals as they believe money can do all things such as building on waterways- go to Festac town and see what they have turned the place into! So long as they continue in their antisocial and unlawful ways will the LASG demolish their property! Chest beating, playing the victim card and displaying victim mentality has not and will not help the Igbo! Be wise!
Indeed, I share in some of your summations here. Festac Town is directly under the purview of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) so any demolitions were definitely carried out by FHA like they did in the demolitions on those illegal structures the FHA warnedbin a recorded video the majorly Ibo house builders to STOP construction yet they continued building thinking they could as usual bribe their ways through in that Festac Town Extension. So, it's NOT the Lagos State Government that carried out the demolitions like the actually indicated in the original post on Page 1. So the highly IRRESPONSIBLE comments made threatening the Lagos State Governor by that footballer and these random and ignorant posters right from Page 1 shows CLEARLY how illiteracy, semi-literateracy and tribal bigotry have become a big diseases slowing down growth and development of any country.
US ARMY WAR COLLEGE INDUCTS LATE LIEUTENANT GENERAL TA LAGBAJA INTO ITS INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME
The United States Army War College (USAWC) has posthumously conferred one of its highest international honours on the late Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, the 23rd Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Nigerian Army, with his induction into the prestigious International Hall of Fame (IHOF).
The distinguished recognition, which took place on Monday, 13 October 2025, was conferred during the opening ceremony of the ongoing Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Convention at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre, Washington D.C., United States of America.
In a solemn but yet colourful ceremony, the Commandant of the USAWC, Major General Trevor J. Bredenkamp, presented the posthumous honour in acknowledgment of the late General Lagbaja’s sterling leadership, visionary service and exceptional contributions to the advancement of military professionalism and international peace and security. The recognition underscores his outstanding achievements as an alumnus of the institution who rose meritoriously to the zenith of his military career as Nigeria’s 23rd Chief of Army Staff.
The late Lieutenant General Lagbaja was one of the six eminent inductees honoured at this year’s event. His induction represents a historic milestone as he became the first ever Nigerian Army officer to be enshrined in the USAWC International Hall of Fame in the institution’s illustrious 124 year history, a testament to his enduring legacy of excellence and service to humanity.
Representing the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, at the ceremony was Major General Adeleke Ayannuga, who received the honour alongside Mrs Maria Abiodun Lagbaja on behalf of the late COAS.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were the Director General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General G.O. Adesina; Director General, Defence Headquarters Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre, Major General G.T.O. Ajetunmobi, Mrs Deborah Aboderin of the Office of Security Cooperation, U.S. Embassy, Abuja.
Also present were the Nigerian Defense Attaché to the United States, Army officers undergoing higher professional military education at the National Defense University, Washington D.C, the United States Army War College and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, alongside other senior Nigerian Army officers participating in the AUSA 2025 Annual Convention.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, expressed profound pride in this singular honour bestowed upon one of the Nigerian Army’s most illustrious and visionary leaders. He affirmed that the recognition not only immortalizes the late Lieutenant General Lagbaja’s distinguished service but also reinforces the Nigerian Army’s commitment to the universal ideals of professionalism, discipline and dedication to global peace and security.
queensera: "Djcuppy" The daughter of Nigerian billionaire "femi Otedola" has taken to her instagram page to post juicy half naked picture of herself as she attends "2018 Trinidad Carnival" in USA.
Funkyswagzz: You want to show me what exactly... That the drug baron went to united states if I check that link make I bend 😂
First off... You have to be careful with your disinformation here and the highly defamatory posts that some of you young Ibos regularly and notoriously spit out of your mouths to damage this man's image because of your own hatred and tribal bigotry over Peter your kinsman.
Second, the now President 'Bola Tinubu was NEVER a drug baron. He ONLY forfeited 460,000 USD as a result of a backlog of unpaid taxes and that was duly deducted from his 8 United States bank accounts with the remaining balance of about $1.4 million returned to his bank account as of 1993. He was subsequently cleared by the United States courts and he RETURNED to Nigeria to face the June 12, 1993 election events of which I was involved in as of 1993.
Just to ALSO CLEARLY stated here, ever since 1993 when the United States Federal Court cleared Bola Tinubu, he has ALWAYS travelled to the United States right till this moment so how you and your ilk got to arrive at the FACT that Tinubu CANNOT go to the United States portrays you guys who spread these lies as NOT trustworthy and morally bankrupt! Every year the now President 'Bola Tinubu flies to the United States with his family in his personal private jet and it's highly IRRESPONSIBLE that a strand exists among the South Eastern origin tribe that deliberately pushes out fabricated disinformation to manipulate the public. You guys are causing credibility problems for yourselves when you repeatedly spread online disinformation like this.
ogugwa1992: The leader of Niger Delta Forum Comrade Sunday Briggs speaking with media on 13th October, 2025 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has strongly warned against the call by Omoyele Sowore for the #MNKOct20 Campaign # with attendant solidarity gestures anywhere in the region.
otemanuduno: This is not actually a religious write-up but a great revelation that might tend to end the argument going on between the religious people and science since the beginning of things.
It will also liberate people from the idea of leaving their brains idle while waiting for others to use theirs. The brain is a complex structure that is hard to understand sometimes.
This doctrine should be approached with openmindedness but should be taken very seriously as it tends to shed more light on the origin of HELL FIRE, RELIGION and others. I shall be giving it bit by bit daily. Thanks for following.
Freed.001: This is the type of discussion I like to be a part of. Life itself has been a journey of learning and unlearning for the evolution of our souls.
There is a thread here on nairaland created by Otem that explains the origin of the cosmos and different gods of religion and science, it helps us to understand what they all represent so we can have higher view of the hierarchy system of these beings.
One might ask, if this is possible in the future, what, if this has happened in the past? Great Question.
Look around you -
Take the Religious Lenses away for 5 minutes please and watch your neighbors closely.
There are people who hit their heads on the floor 5 times a day, until there is a dark spot on their fore heads. This is punishment and enslavement. Something is saying I have defeated you.
There are people, who kneel down and lament, and cry and beg for forgiveness, and beg for food, and beg for jobs from entities they do not see. They look like slaves. This is mind control. Something is saying, Kneel down, I have defeated you.
There are people who hit their heads on walls, wear funny hat, and cry, and kill birds and lament and cry and surrender. This is enslavement, by an intelligence smarter than they are. This is defeat.
There are people, who move away from civilization, into 'evil forest' adorn with rags, chalks on their bodies, becoming poor and deceiving fellow humans - this is war on the mind, this is defeat.
There are people, moving away from civilization, dressed up on long robes, no longer enjoying normal human interactions, speaking of enlightenment yet lacking in material things and getting occasional massages and using their intellect to lazy around and make others lazy - this is a diversion tactics, and akin to saying, do nothing, this world is not ours. It is a hijack.
politicoNG: The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Red Chamber confirmed Amupitan after a voice vote by the lawmakers and after undergoing screening and answering questions posed by members of the Senate.
Amupitan had arrived at the National Assembly complex earlier, exchanged pleasantries with Senators.
He was accompanied to the chamber by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, and other dignitaries.
At about 12:50 p.m., the nominee was ushered into the Senate chamber by the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abubakar Lado, and was already seated ahead of the commencement of the exercise.
Amupitan was allowed into the hallowed chamber after the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), moved that Order 12 be set aside to allow visitors into the chamber, and he was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family members, and well-wishers to the Red Chamber, commending them for their presence.
Before introducing himself to the Senators for the question and answer session to take off, Akpabio disclosed to his colleagues that the nominee had been cleared by the office of the National Security Adviser after vetting.
According to Akpabio, the office of the Department of State Services had also cleared him.
The Senate President also said that the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, having done a fingerprint search on him, cleared him and said that he had no criminal records with the police.
The screening exercise commenced at about 12:55 p.m. following Akpabio’s opening remarks, during which he outlined the procedures to be followed by the lawmakers in considering the nominee’s credentials.
The screening session focused on Amupitan’s vision for credible elections, his plans for institutional reforms within INEC, and measures to deepen the use of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Following his confirmation by the Senate, Amupitan will oversee preparations for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and lay the groundwork for the 2027 general elections.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu had nominated Amupitan, a Professor of Law from the University of Jos, to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The President’s letter conveying Amupitan’s nomination was read on the floor of the Senate by Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday.
sreamsense: They speak the same language, they don't need interpreter like you to translate what they discussed. The person Tinubu was talking to understood what he was saying, mere facial gesture between them even speaks volume. Unfortunately, you were not there and you are correcting somebody that was there and discussing many other issues together. How did you pass your WAEC comprehension or they threw something from outside into the exam hall for you?
Before last weekend, if you'd have asked about Col Michael Randrianirina on the island of Madagascar, you'd have got a lot of blank looks.
In just three days, however, he has become arguably the most powerful person in country.
Randrianirina's sudden ascent began on Saturday, when as the head of Madagascar's elite CAPSAT army unit, he drove with his troops into the centre of the capital city, joining thousands of protesters who had long been demanding the president's resignation.
After Andry Rajoelina eventually fled the city and MPs voted to impeach him, 51-year-old Randrianirina stood in front of the vacant presidential palace and informed the world's media that CAPSAT was taking over.
The constitutional court then declared that he was the country's new ruler, even though the ousted president still insists that he remains in charge.
Randrianirina carries a rare air of mystery - for the leader of the country's most powerful military unit, there is not much information about him in the public domain.
What we do know is that he was born in Sevohipoty, a village in the southern Androy region.
He later became the governor of Androy, serving between 2016 and 2018 under former President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
Then, Randrianirina became head of an infantry battalion in the city of Toliara, a position he held until 2022.
He was a vocal critic of Rajoelina, an entrepreneur who took power via a coup in 2009, stepped down in 2013, then returned five years later after winning elections.
Randrianirina was jailed in a maximum-security prison without trial in November 2023, accused of inciting a mutiny and planning a coup.
Student groups, fellow soldiers and politicians were among those who argued Randrianirina had been imprisoned for unfair political reasons, and he was released in February the following year.
Just hours before announcing he was taking over Madagascar on Tuesday, Randrianirina told the BBC he was a mere "servant" of the people. He exuded charm, hospitality, confidence - but not arrogance.
The colonel is also known to be a staunch Christian. Magalasy journalist Rivonala Razafison describes him as "simple but tough", "straightforward" and "patriotic".
Randrianirina certainly has thoughts about his country and how it is still influenced by France, which was Madagascar's colonial master until 1960.
When offered the option to respond to the BBC's questions in French, an official language in Madagascar, Randrianirina countered: "Why can't I speak my language, Malagasy?" adding that he does not like glorifying the colonial tongue.
The CAPSAT leader has told local media that, moving forward, his priority is "social welfare" - a pressing issue in a country where roughly 75% of people live below the poverty line.
He has said the military will rule for up to two years alongside a civilian government before an election is held.
Sources have told Reuters that Randrianirina will be sworn in over the next day or two - a ceremony that will serve as a coda to a whirlwind few days that took him from mystery man to the officer everybody is talking about.
DrMB: 28.7% vs. 2.8%: How can the cost of food rise nearly 10 times faster in one state than another? Nigeria's latest food inflation report (September 2025) reveals a shocking disparity in the price of food across the country, showing a clear North-South divide in price stability.
Why are states like Ekiti, Rivers, and Lagos being hit so hard, while Bauchi, Niger, and Anambra enjoy single-digit increases? Share your state and tell us: What's the price of a bag of rice or a basket of tomatoes in your city today? Let's compare! 👇
Top 10 states with highest year-on-year food inflation rate (Sept 2025)
How can Ekiti State (that was carved out of Ondo State) have a higher year-on-year food inflation rate? These two States are practically in the same geographical location.
This is a case of clear rampant hoarding, a game of speculative trading and rampant profiteering going on in Ekiti State and those other 10 top States. It's time to finally break the middle men in the supply chain and let the farmers sell directly to end users or end buyers in Farmers Markets and designated markets at a cheaper cost like Lagos State is already doing via those Agric Food Hubs. Period.
sinkhole: I don’t know how to translate this into English, but “ohun t’aba wi f’ogbo, logbo ngbo…” is the most popular Yoruba incantation used by Ifa believers to spellbind an individual; hypnotise the enemy or arrest an awkward situation. But some Ifa adherents don’t have to chant incantations. They are incantations themselves! The Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, belongs to this class of esoteric clan of Ifa votaries.
It was about midday in the heart of Osogbo. Some officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria were on a mass disconnection at the Ayetoro area of the city capital. Snaillike, their vehicle inched towards Ifayemi Elebuibon Street, stopping at the very pole in front of the expansive residence of the Ifa priest. Four PHCN officials alighted from the vehicle. A group of residents, whose electricity cables had been disconnected some distance up the street, had followed the vehicle on foot. The leader of the team, a dark-skinned middle-aged man, opened a conversation with the restless residents.
Two men, who appeared to be the youngest in the PHCN team, brought down a brown, long wooden ladder hinged to the top of the pickup. As they were mounting the ladder against the pole, Elebuibon came out of his compound. He greeted them and asked what their mission was. The team leader told him that they were going to disconnect the cable supplying his house with electricity unless he produced a bill showing that he was not owing the PHCN. The babalawo told them that he was not owing the PHCN and added that it was not his place to produce any bill. He said the PHCN should have a record of those who had paid up their bills just as he stressed that he had never owed electricity tariff all his life. Some residents intervened and told the officials that the Araba never owed electricity bills.
Shunning all entreaties, one of the PHCN officials rebuffed the pleas and started to climb the long ladder. Residents yelled and told him not to climb the ladder, but he refused, climbing and grumbling. Elebuibon raised his hand, saying ‘e je o gun, to bati le bo’le’; meaning: let him climb the ladder if he would be able to climb down from it. One! Two! Three! Four!…the brave official climbed the ladder to the top. Suddenly, he stopped grumbling, became utterly silent, distant and hazy.
He couldn’t disconnect the cable, neither could he come down. Looking as cool as cucumber, he chewed a gum slowly, absent-mindedly and remained at the top of the ladder, blinking and oblivious of the flood of pleas gushing on his behalf down below.
The other three PHCN officials at the foot of the ladder sweated and begged. Together with residents, they pleaded with Baba Elebuibon to set the young man free. Elebuibon yielded. ‘Arakunrin, ma bo nle (young man, come down),’ he simply said, snapping the detainee out of his forced reverie. The Ifa priest later told one of his children to go inside his house and bring the bill showing he had paid his electricity tariff. Elebuibon was able to resist the highhandedness earmarked for him by the PHCN, but do millions of Nigerians, whose businesses and well-being are tied to electricity supply, have the arcane power to such do?
The commonest testimony that governmental injustice and corruption freely and daily stalk our land unchallenged is the PHCN. Injustice and corruption aided, abetted and perpetrated by the government against the people. Or what better adjectives are there to qualify a government parastatal that collects citizens’ hard-earned money and yet refuses to provide the commodity for which they paid? Worse still, those that pay brazenly have their power supply cut if they were not around to show the almighty PHCN officials their bills.
The inability of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to bring just one ‘oga’ to book despite the trillions of naira that have gone down the PHCN drain since 1999 shows the corrupt nature of the country’s anti-corruption fight. Nigerians watch hopelessly as yesterday’s corrupt politicians have had their iniquities washed with hyssop and a detergent called defection while the EFCC bays at the midnight moon. The crazy bill phenomenon by the PHCN is the crowning of the nation’s abhorrent corruption behemoth. How a government could watch and support the fleecing of her citizens year in and year out without a twinge of compunction beats the imagination. And all the agencies, state and national parliaments statutorily constituted to check underhand practices in the various segments of the economy look the other way as the python of corruption and insensitivity encircles the citizenry. A Nigerian-American living in Huntsville, Alabama, Olusegun-Richard Adeyina, said he has witnessed uninterrupted power supply since relocating to the US 16 years ago.
A report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project said at least N11tn meant for the provision of adequate electricity for Nigerians was squandered under ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. The report also warned that the ‘financial loss to Nigeria from corruption in the electricity sector’ may reach N20tn in the next 10 years.
AnambraPeople: UDUF Africa:Why Nigerian banks lend me money without collateral – Coscharis
The Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka, has stated that transparency, accountability, honesty, trustworthiness and decency were the reasons why Nigeria banks are lending him money without demanding for a collateral in accordance with the banking law.
Maduka disclosed this while mentoring Nigeria youths on how to be self-disciplined, responsible, hardworking, determined, dedicated and focused in their various fields of endeavour at a two-day 2025 Under 45 CEOs Business and Leadership Summit with the topic: “From power to purpose, leading with ethical courage, organized by Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF Africa), held at Bishop Patterson auditorium , All Saints Cathedral,Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, on Saturday.
According to him, faith in God, self-belief and trust are what every Nigerian youth need at the moment to grow and develope themselves and the country at large.
“I didn’t do money ritual to grow, I made my money through faith in God and the trust people bestowed upon me. What you build on people last longer than what you build for yourself. You wouldn’t believe that in the last thrity years I never signed cheque of Coscharis Group despite having Yorubas as my Group Managing Director and Financial controller respectively as a typical Igbo man from Nnewi, Anambra State.
” I am reciprocating that trust people, investors and Nigeria Financial Institutions bestowed on me that have graciously lead me to the position I found myself today. I am looking for value and not tribalism as a humble man who started hustling as an Akara seller in Jos, Plateau State.
“You must learned to be trusted if you want to change your negative narratives in this World. Today, we live in a place where trust is almost impossible. Nobody will believe your vision and passion until you believe in yourself. You are the change Nigeria is looking for.
“I didn’t start life as a CEO, I started as an Akara seller in Jos, Plateau State, after I lost my father at the age of four.
” I rose to this position I am today, through faith in God and self-belief.
“I didn’t do my business along government sectors, I didn’t build Coscharis to prove that I am a powerful Nigeria, I built it because I believe that business is a calling. My guiding principles is whatever thing you do, do it as unto the Lord. Success is not about what you gain but about who you become and how you serve the society. Success without integrity lead to destruction. Focus without purpose is like a motion without direction.
“Because of my honest determination to grow and my trustworthiness, banks in Nigeria are lending me money without demanding for collateral, and the bank that first risk the trust in me was Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB).
“In 1977, I founded Coscharis Motor, a one- man trading venture that grew into the Coscharis Group, a wholly Nigerian-owned conglomerate with interest spanning automobile, auto-assembly, logistics, IT, agriculture, medical equipment, food and beverages, and chemicals. Today, the group represents leading global brands such as BMW, Jaguar,Land Rover, Ford, Renault and roll royce with operations across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones and in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Japan respectively.
“When you live a life of integrity, people will trust you, investors will believe you and most importantly God would back you up. Do not look for change, you are the change Nigeria is yielding for. I therefore urged you all to used what you have learned here today to develop a vision that will change the socio-economic hardship Nigerians are currently going through at the moment, Maduka concluded.
In his opening remarks, founder of UDUF Africa, Dr. Ezuma Smart Chinedu, emphasized the importance of youth perseverance and acquiring necessary skills to achieve business goals.
He explain that the 2025 summit with the Theme; LeaderShift: Building a new mindset for ethical leadership, was to guide young entrepreneurs on how to remain afloat in their endeavors following the challenges faced by businesses in the country.
“It also aimed to enhance leadership and business management skills and encourage networking among over 200 participants drawn from various sectors of the economy.
Chinedu noted further that Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation aims to provide capacity-building opportunities to young people, entrepreneurs, and leaders who have a passion for serving humanity and transforming African communities.
The Summit that also featured panel discussion was equally attended by Prof. Olusegun Oludapo Sogbesan, Director General of Onitsha Business School, Lady Chinwe Okoli, CEO Solution Innovation District, Prof Stella Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Paul University Awka, Daniel Chinagozi, Founder Innovation Growth Hub, Bishop Dr E.C Obiorah, Chairman, EMOS Best Industries, Kenny Adenugba, Sylvanus Izebhokhae, Registrar, Onitsha Business School, among others.
Cosmas Maduka is CLEARLY one of the few legit entrepreneurs of South East origin I fully trust for his work ethics having read many years ago about how he veered into trading at a young age after his apprentiship and how he made his initial money from buying and selling way back in the late 1970s from purchasing motorcycle parts from a famous Lebanese importer family in Lagos State at a cheaper price for resupplies to end users in Anambra State and the South East.
Niger State Governor Umar Bago, a Muslim joined the Living Faith Church service in Minna to pray for peace and unity🥹🧎🏻♂️➡️ pic.twitter.com/2FciPOEdnW
Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State was present at Living Faith Church, Minna on Sunday, 4th May 2025 to celebrate the 44th Anniversary of the Liberation Mandate.
Mohammed Umaru Bago is said to be an ethnic Nupe dude. So, it's likely he has family ties in his family tree with those practicing other faiths. In any event, this should be a non-issue for a Middle-Belt State Governor of Niger State where you have the indigenous Nupes, Gwaris, etc.
She claimed she was "irresponsibly" cooking on the street in Lekki. There are inconsistencies in this story here. If indeed a Lagos State taskforce came to take the food she was cooking away, she would have equally been ARRESTED and later fined for constituting a nuisance to the public by cooking on an open street! This is why proper education on carrying out charitable activities and making donations to the general public is very important. It's the reason why spraying and trampling on money during parties is now frowned upon. If you have money to give out as a gift, simply enclose it in an envelope and give it to who ever you want to give it to. Period.
I believe there's some staging or clout-chasing going on here to attract public attention to herself. There's NO way a taskforce would take away the food being cooked and NOT arrest or detain the law violator for trial in a mobile court.
Yorubastardz: Gbegri with toilet broom taste better
This is how they were raised since childhood Toilet broom is a must in Yoruba household
Sophisticated meals require sophisticated tool
Quit acting IRRESPONSIBLY here. Your kind of highly IRRESPONSIBLE posts and derailing of threads using a derogatory NL moniker to post on NL will NOT be tolerated again.
That's a specially made short kitchen utensil called "IJABE" (NOT a broom) by the Yoruba folks for blending ewedu soup or okro soup for centuries now [in the absence of the more recent electric blender device] and it's made from the raffia palm tree. The one for sweeping the floor is called "IGBALE" by the Yoruba folks who aren't stupid to use a broom used for sweeping the floor for culinary activities in a pot of soup.
People still use the stone grinders today in various parts of Asia, Africa, and Nigeria, for milling grains and blending peppers, tomatoes, etc, in the absence of electricity. Would you consider these folks primitive and refuse to eat what they've cooked?
There are over 10 major items that are made from the raffia palm tree such as fabrics, sacks, brooms, Ijabes (blenders), roofs, and more.
Truths9ja: Davido explaining Amala, gbegiri , Okro and different kind of meats in the pots to his American friends😂…. See all the meats dem pack for Isreal food chai 😩🥘
Celebrities › Re: Soso Soberekon Celebrates Tompolo For His Exemplary Support To Delta STF by Konquest: 4:53am On Oct 17, 2025
