₦airaland Forum

Amid rising energy costs, Nigerians spent about N1.3tn on buying Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to power their vehicles and electricity generators in June, as consumption across the country reached 1.44 billion litres, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

Nigerians consume more petrol than any other fuel, and as a nation battling an unreliable power supply, a larger percentage of the population depends on petrol for self-generation. Following the removal of petrol subsidies two years ago, the amount Nigerians burn on fuel rose to an unimaginable high.

Based on NMDPRA data, Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, were the major petrol consumers in June. The NMDPRA PMS truckout report for June indicated that a total of 1.44 billion litres of petrol were sent to states in the month. At a conservative average pump price of N900 per litre, this translates to about N1.3tn.

Out of the 1.44 billion litres trucked to states, Lagos consumed 205.7 million litres, valued at N185.1bn. Ogun followed with 88.7 million litres at a cost of N79.8bn, while the FCT received 77.5 million litres, valued at N69.8bn. Oyo, another state close to Lagos, got 72.8 million litres worth N65.5bn.


At the lower end, Jigawa State recorded the least allocation with 9.4 million litres (N8.5bn). It was followed by Ebonyi with 10.5 million litres (N9.5bn), Yobe with 11.7 million litres (N10.5bn), and Bayelsa with 11.9 million litres (N10.7bn).

At the regional level, the South-West emerged as the top consumer with 452.9 million litres valued at N407.7bn. Aside from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo, Osun received 35.5 million litres (N31.9bn), Ondo got 35.1 million litres (N31.5bn), and Ekiti consumed 15.3 million litres (N13.7bn).

The North-Central zone ranked second with 247.4 million litres worth N222.4bn. The FCT led with 77.5 million litres (N69.8bn), followed by Niger with 40.7 million litres (N36.6bn), Kwara with 34.8 million litres (N31.3bn), Benue with 25.7 million litres (N23.1bn), Nasarawa with 25.1 million litres (N22.6bn), Kogi with 24.1 million litres (N21.7bn), and Plateau with 19.4 million litres (N17.5bn).


The North-West consumed 230 million litres valued at N207.0bn. Kano led the zone with N61.4bn, followed by Kaduna with N38.8bn and Sokoto with N33.3bn. Kebbi spent N27.3bn, Katsina’s spending stood at N22.3bn, and Zamfara, N15.3bn. Jigawa was the lowest at N8.5bn.

In the South-South, total spending stood at N202.9bn on 224.9 million litres. Delta topped with N61.6bn; Rivers, N40.1bn; Edo, N38.8bn; Akwa Ibom, N30.4bn; and Cross River, N20.7bn, while Bayelsa was among the lowest with N10.7bn.


NMDPRA data showed that the North-East accounted for 152.8 million litres valued at N137.5bn. Adamawa topped the zone with N51.2bn, Bauchi followed with N27.9bn, Gombe and Borno recorded N17.3bn and N17.0bn, respectively, Taraba N13.6bn, and Yobe N10.5bn.

The South-East recorded the lowest spending nationwide with 132.7 million litres, valued at N119.6bn. Anambra topped the zone with 40.5 million litres (N36.5bn), followed by Imo, 30.6 million litres (N27.6bn); Enugu, 27.4 million litres (N24.7bn); Abia, 23.7 million litres (N21.3bn); and Ebonyi, 10.5 million litres (N9.5bn).

The figures highlight Nigeria’s uneven petrol consumption pattern, largely driven by population size, vehicle density and economic activity. It was observed that urban and industrial centres such as Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Oyo and Kano dominated demand, while sparsely populated states such as Jigawa, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Yobe consumed far less.

In June, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, revealed that most Nigerians were unaware that they currently pay 55 per cent of what other West African countries pay for PMS. Dangote also said his refinery had aided the reduction of fuel prices by selling petrol between N815 and N820 per litre.

He also noted that Nigerians are benefiting from local refining, as the price of petrol has dropped significantly compared to neighbouring countries. “In neighbouring countries, the average price of petrol is around $1 per litre, which is N1,600. But here at our refinery, we’re selling at between N815 and N820. Many Nigerians don’t realise that they are currently paying just 55 per cent of what others in the region are paying for petrol,” he noted.


Recall that petrol prices jumped from an average of N200 per litre to their current levels, following President Bola Tinubu’s subsidy removal on May 29, 2023. Before the Dangote refinery began petrol production last year, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited used to be the sole-determiner of fuel prices.

The NNPC, which was the sole petrol importer at the time due to fuel subsidies, seems to have ceded that role to the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote refinery, the only functional petrol-producing refinery as of the time of filing this report. Petrol prices surged to about N1,200 per litre last year when the NNPC completely removed subsidies, but the Dangote refinery implemented repeated price cuts to bring prices below N900/litre.

While many Nigerians welcomed the reductions, fuel marketers lamented the losses. Meanwhile, some Nigerians insisted that petrol prices should return to a range of N200 and N500 per litre, saying that is the only way to fight rising inflation.

“The prices should drop to between N200 and N500, and you’ll see the impact on virtually all sectors of the economy. Selling petrol above N850 per litre is still high and causing inflation to spike,” a Lagos resident, Favour Samson, stated.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Industry, Francis Fadahunsi, has urged Nigerians to return to farming and produce food in large quantities, thereby reducing the current hunger ravaging the country.

The lawmaker, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in Osun State in the Senate, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Ilase-Ijesa, Osun State, on Tuesday.

The lawmaker, who commended President Bola Tinubu for taking advice he was offered regarding ways to reduce poverty, predicted that before the end of the current year, Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief.

“I am farming. Everybody should farm. If there is no hunger, automatically, we will be thinking right. The development is coming. What I have seen in the National Assemblies is real, and so on.

“Automatically, before the end of this year, things will go down. Just recently, when we went for the NEC meeting, President Tinubu advised the governors to go deep into the local areas and invest more.

“That’s an executive order, and I am very sure any Governor that does not do that will lose his credibility because of the quantum of money being allocated to them,” Fadahunsi said.

He called on people of voting age who do not have a Permanent Voters Card to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration, adding that he has personally been involved in mobilising people for the exercise.

He said, “I have personally gone around to ensure that stakeholders who will facilitate the process are actively on board. Particularly, reaching the Kings, custodians of cultural heritage, and community leaders.

“We are urging people in the community to register. Including the longtime settlers in our environment, the Hausa farmers, Fulani herdsmen, and the Igedes. They all must register and get a PVC.”

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has described President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy as a good reform implemented wrongly, saying the policy has worsened poverty and inflation in Nigeria.

Speaking on Monday during a panel session at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association conference in Enugu, Ezekwesili said defending the current administration was a “Herculean task” given its “wrong-headed policies.”

“You can have the right policies, but if you implement them the wrong way, there will be problems,” she said. “The subsidy removal was not prepared for. It was a good reform done the wrong way. Inflation is punishing the populace, and the poor have nowhere to run.”

She faulted President Tinubu’s abrupt declaration of “Subsidy is gone,” arguing that it plunged millions into penury. “Inflation hits the poor so hard. This was a reform done wrongly,” she insisted.

Ezekwesili also urged lawyers and the judiciary to resist prebendal politics and avoid endorsing practices that enrich the political elite at the expense of the masses.

“The idea that politics is the pathway to wealth is an anomaly,” she said. “Any profession that rewards such behaviour cannot claim to care about tomorrow. We have 133 million Nigerians living in poverty, yet the political class continues to fail them.

The legal profession must not reward prebendalism.”


In his keynote address, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, emphasised the need for Nigeria to prioritise research and development to drive sustainable economic growth.

“Four of the five biggest economies in the world are also the highest spenders on R&,” he said. “A firm that fails to invest in research cannot grow beyond its research. In 2022, Nigeria spent 96.3 per cent of its revenue on debt servicing, leaving little for capital projects. We promoted consumption over investment and production, but we are working to correct that.”

Ojo urged lawyers to review outdated laws governing the fire service and correctional services, while stressing the importance of channeling resources into both infrastructure and research.

Another panelist, George Etomi, expressed concern about the judiciary’s independence.

“Our judiciary was more independent under the military,” he lamented. “Democracy is being abused today. We must protect the judiciary.”

Participants at the session also expressed dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s economic policies. When asked whether the country was on the right track, the majority responded “no.” Similarly, when asked if their hope had been renewed under the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” the answer was again a resounding “no.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar insists he will run for president in 2027, dismissing reports hinting at possible withdrawal.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Sunday, vowed that despite efforts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to ridicule and play down the current momentum in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition will shock the world in the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku also laid to rest insinuation that he might not contest the presidential poll two years from now, stressing that he will run for the nation’s top job in the next election cycle.

One of the politician’s spokespersons during the 2023 presidential election, Tunde Olusunle, disclosed this to THISDAY Sunday night, quoting his ex-principal as maintaining that Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the ‘intensive care’ unit it has been consigned to under the Bola Tinubu government.


Atiku, until recently a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has often sought broad coalitions to strengthen his presidential bids. In that light, the ADC, a hitherto relatively smaller party has brought together some heavyweight politicians, positioning itself as a third-force alternative outside the dominance of the APC and PDP.

Besides, the former Nigeria’s number two man decried what he described as the unprecedented ‘thievery’ in the current administration, highlighting the need to ‘rescue’ the country from its current leaders.


He pointed out that the ADC will mobilise Nigerians to upstage the status quo in 2027, emphasising that he will be offering himself for election.

“The accompanying deceit, the loss of values, the mega-scale, unimpeded thievery and the absolute lack of accountability must disturb every concerned patriot. I will be offering myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland,” Olusunle quoted Atiku as having said, after conferring with him.


Atiku explained that the coalition which he is leading under the ADC is to galvanise popular support for the liberation of Nigeria, but said that a platform which was adopted just a few months ago cannot be expected to engender upsets in by-elections that just held.

“ADC is leading a potent mass movement which will shock the world. We will upstage the status quo in a way which will leave doubters dumbstruck,” he maintained.


In the same vein, contrary to recent reports to the effect that he may opt out of the 2027 presidential contest, the former Vice President Atiku restated that he will run for the nation’s top job.

However, apart from Atiku, ex-Anambra Governor, Peter Obi, and former Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, have made public their intentions to jostle for the ADC’s presidential ticket as part of a coalition of opposition figures seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu at the polls in 2027.


While the former vice president has positioned himself as the most experienced hand, Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has insisted he will not play a secondary role to anyone. Also, Amaechi, a former Minister Of Transportation, has hinted on plans to throw his hat into the ring.

But Atiku was quoted to have said at the weekend that his commitment to the evolution of a better Nigeria far outweighed his quest to be President. Prof Ola Olateju of the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo state, who represented him at the defection of several top political figures to ADC in Lagos, suggested that Atiku was not enamoured about occupying Aso Rock at all costs.


“Atiku Abubakar’s plan is to build a better Nigeria, it’s not about being President. It’s about establishing a government that works for Nigerians. That’s why some of us are with him, not because Atiku must be President at all costs,” Olateju was widely reported to have said at the event he stood in for Atiku.

But Olusunle stated that after reading the report from his holiday home in the United Arab Emirates, (UAE), Atiku disowned the statement, insisting that the message conveyed during the event was not sanctioned by him.


“I did not issue that statement,” he said. “When people stand in for me at events, we preview my thoughts on the instant subject and what my contribution or intervention will be, so we are on the same page. In this particular instance, there was no engagement with me to distill my thoughts. Prof Olateju was not speaking for me,” he stated.

The elder statesman added, “I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned. The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable.”

Atiku’s statement is also coming as the presidency has often seized every opportunity to ridicule the ADC, claiming that the coalition only exists on paper and portraying it as inconsequential as well as lacking real electoral weight.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, on Thursday, disclosed that he is not in a supremacy battle with any monarch either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe.

He made this disclosure in a statement released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

PUNCH Online reports that the fresh battle between the Alaafin, Oba Owoade and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, started last Monday after the Alaafin faulted the Ooni’s decision to confer the title of Okanlomo of Oduwa on a businessman, Dotun Sanusi, during the unveiling of an indigenous social media network- 2geda, at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan, at the weekend.

The statement explained that Alaafin is a veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, and has always taken into consideration the safety and welfare of his subjects at all times. It added that the monarch relied heavily on the will and wishes of his subjects.

Durojaiye said he (Alaafin) would never compromise tradition, culture and development of his people for a pot of porridge.

He said the monarch operates a government that is judged by its result, as prosperity, security and well-being of the people dictated his popularity both in the palace and in the empire at large.

The statement reads in part, “Why Alaafin does not need to get into any battle for supremacy with any Oba, either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe? These immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell – The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion.


“It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider, and progressively be able to grasp any theme or situation -persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree” – sum up the life voyage of Owoade, an indomitable monarch with an unequalled passion for the great good of all.


“He (Alaafin) is a veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, and has always taken into consideration the safety and welfare of his subjects and will never compromise tradition, culture and development of his people for a pot of porridge. The history has been so kind and friendly to Alaafin Owoade publicity since he ascended the throne of his forefathers, as he does not need to get into any battle for supremacy with any oba, either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe.

“Alaafin combines humility with royalty to meet the modern-day demands. Kabiyesi (the king who no one questions). Iku Baba Yeye (The one who commands death/he who is parent to death). Alashe (He who wields authority). Ekeji Orisha (Second-in-command to the gods). The Alaafin was inducted into the mysteries of various gods like Ifa, Sango etc to be the direct representative of these deities on earth.”

The statement added, “At the hallowed ground of the Yoruba ancient shrine, as Owoade made a covenant with illustrious Yoruba ancestors that he would defend, protect and add glamour to the Yoruba norms and tradition. Oduduwa’s Principal minister and grandson, Oranmiyan (Because Oduduwa begot Okanbi, (an only child and Okanbi begot Oranmiyan, among others, namely Ila-Orangun, Oni-Sabe, Olu-Popo, Ala-Ketu, Oba-Benin) founded the city of Oyo when prolonged drought struck Ile-Ife as a result of people’s emigration.

“Oyo simply rose to prominence through wealth gained from trade and its military skills. It was the largest West African empire, the most important and authoritative of all the early Yoruba principalities. More so, the British, as it was in their tradition, recognised lineage as meaningful supremacy and legitimacy, preferring to sign the Treaty of Cessation with the Alaafin as the Superior Head of the Yoruba Nation.

“In politics also, he is concerned about the sanctity of his position, and whatever happens on the welfare of his people. Customs and all traditional practices of today in government, religion and economic life have had distance, and possibly age-long origins which were based on valid and accepted tenets that emerged from the synthesis and aggregated experience of a particular society.

“One of such societies is the ancient city of Oyo, reputed for cultural resources that are of rich non-material and material attributes and transmitted through generations. Moreover, the precepts and concepts of Alaafin’s administration have continued to support and nurture the people’s ancient culture and sophisticated civilisation from time immemorial.


“The basic concept of government was monarchy with a rigid adherence to the monolithic Oduduwa dynasty and of the paternal line.”

casualobserver:
At the time He bought the house in Ikeja with Anambra state funds and hid it under his brother and his company next the property was worth bought for just under $2m.

You are not dealing with your typical audience. I was properly educated by the best. When we talk we talk with facts.

Property cost N280m in 2011, exchange rate was 150:$1. I hope you still have enough grey cells to do the math otherwise please borrow a calculator.

RarelY will you be able to prove me wrong on anything I say on Nairaland. Because I only post on what I am sure of and if I am not sure I fact-check before I post. You will also find I am one of the very few people hat will acknowledge when I am wrong rather than continue a line that is clearly false.

When something is opinion, I say it is opinion, when it is fact I say it is fact.

casualobserver:
Same way someone used $2m to buy a house in Ikeja while government workers were unpaid, and people were hungry in Anambra.

…Says, it’s tit for tat

…’Outcome of Saturday’s bye-elections unfortunate’


By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: Ahead of the scheduled exit of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu by December, youths of the opposition African Democratic Congress ADC have cautioned President Bola Tinubu against any attempt to manipulate the processes of naming a replacement, vowing to defeat him in 2027 even if he appointed his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga as head of the commission.

The youths spoke on Tuesday in Abuja under the aegis of African Democratic Youth Congress ADYC.

Declaring that they were tired of being spectators in the affairs of the nation, the youths said they would match whatever measures or style adopted by the ruling All Progressives Congress APC to subvert the people’s will.

Some of those who spoke included the National Coordinator of the group, Mrs Ruqayya Lamido Dodo; its Director General, Murtala Haliru Dantoro, Joshua Nweke Anioma and others.

“Politics is about numbers. They can bring as much money they have but we are going to beat them silly in 2027.

“We saw Onanuga asking how market. The waters have been tested. We have other elections coming up and that is when they will know how market is because it is going to be fire for fire.

“On INEC, if Tinubu so wishes, he can make Bayo Onanuga the chairman but we in ADC, come 2027, we will make INEC do the needful. We have had enough. We are going to defend our votes from the polling units to the final collation centre. They can bring trillions of Naira. We are going to collect the money but we will vote ADC.

“If the president is going to chose the next INEC chairman, he should put Nigeria first. Someone who has integrity and who has the interest of Nigeria first and not given to primordial or partisan interests”, they declared.

Speaking on whether the outcome of last Saturday’s bye-elections was a true reflection of the strength of the ADC, Director General of the ADYC, Murtala Haliru Dantoro said the elections were nothing but a a show of shame.

He said; “It is important that people know that vote buying is criminal. What happened in my state, Niger, was heartbreaking. To be in a country whereby we cannot make decisions. Our decisions are baseless. We will love to see leaders who will allow our people decide freely during elections. There is no greatness in forcing yourself on the people.

“In Niger, they were paying people for as low as N2,000. I don’t know who said they should do that or who asked them to do that but we want the president to take note. It is unfortunate what happened but we pray Nigeria gets better.

“Our message is simple: We refuse to inherit a broken system. We are here to fix it with the strength of unity. We are not just a youth wing; we are the driving force of the ideologies of the Coalition party, African Democratic Congress ADC, and the future of this nation.

“Despite the difficulties we are facing, we have to rise and be part of our country’s electoral system. Let us join the Coalition party ADC, let’s vote right. We must understand that vote buying is not merely a transaction; it is a betrayal of our collective future”.

On her part, Mrs Dodo said the current generation is tired of being spectators in a country that belongs to them.

“For decades, we have heard the same tired promises. We have been called the ‘leaders of tomorrow’, a phrase that has become little more than a polite way to sideline us from today’s critical decisions. Our generation is tired of being spectators in a nation that belongs to us. We are tired of seeing our potentials wasted, our voices ignored, and our future held hostage by a political system that has failed us repeatedly.

“Today, we are here to declare that the African Democratic Youth Congress, the ADYC, is changing that narrative. We are not just a youth wing; we are the vanguard of a new movement. We are not waiting for tomorrow; we are building our nation today. We are the architects of a new Nigeria.

“The ADYC is the engine room of the African Democratic Congress ADC. Our mandate is simple but profound: to re-engineer Nigeria’s political landscape by championing the core values of transparency, accountability, and radical inclusion”, she said.

The ADC youths said their mission is to build a nationwide movement—one that is felt in every state, local government, and community.

“We are not interested in a top-down approach. Our strategy is to mobilize from the grassroots up, which we have done and are still doing, empowering young people in their communities to become agents of change.

“We are setting up local chapters and organizing community development projects that tackle real-world problems. We are using both traditional outreach and modern digital tools to ensure that our message of hope and action reaches every young.

Former Governor of Delta, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said President Bola Tinubu is bringing stability and hope back to Nigeria.

Okowa stated this on Monday in Abuja, at a national summit organised by the Integrity Group of Nigeria, with the theme “Renew Hope Agenda through Continuity.’’

Okowa, represented by his former Special Adviser on National Assembly and Inter-Governmental Relationships, Pascal Adigwe, stressed the need for Tinubu to continue in office for the people to benefit from his policies.

He described Tinubu as an ”action president” who has accepted responsibility, unlike some past leaders.

”Tinubu’s decisions might be tough or rough, but they are yielding positive results.

“Tinubu is bringing stability. He’s bringing back hope. He’s taking the bull by the horn. He’s not referring to issues in the past or how the past was governed.

“He promised Nigeria that he will come to the saddle and take responsibility. That is what he has done,” Okowa said.


The former governor expressed his total support for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, stating that the President has demonstrated a commitment to taking responsibility for the country.

“We have come, not with liability but assets to make what you have built better.

“We are coming with our experience, with our knowledge of the terrain. We are coming with love. We are coming with resources to better the lot,” he said.

Okowa urged support groups to begin the groundwork for Tinubu’s re-election, adding that he deserves it.


Earlier, the IGN Convener and National Chairman, Dr Oke Idawene, said Tinubu came to power prepared and was working for the prosperity of the country.

“The message of this afternoon is no other than to say never again shall we allow those who are stealing Nigeria’s prosperity to lead us again,” he said.

Idawene added that students now had access to loans, and security was improving.


He said that the progressive governors were already preparing the ground for Tinubu’s victory in 2027 based on his great performance.

Also speaking, Sen. Binta Garba said that when Tinubu came on board, things were not moving well for the country, but he was able to turn things around.

Garba also expressed hope that in 2027, the renewed hope initiative would continue, saying “continuity will make Nigeria a better country.”

Former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, also called on Nigerians to pray for and give Tinubu the necessary support to make the country better.

Tallen said that the signs were good already, citing the All Progressives Congress victories in the recent by-elections and Nigerian girls winning laurels in sports.

The Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Nora Daduut, commended the group for the national summit.

Daduut, who was the mother of the day, tasked the group members, especially women, to keep the renewed hope initiative message alive.

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed a constable attached to the Taraba command for stealing a goat.

According to an official signal from the Commissioner of Police, DFA Jalingo, addressed to the Divisional Police Officer in Mutum Biyu, the officer, identified as PC Usman Mohammed, was attached to the Mutum Biyu Division.

The statement said the dismissal followed due disciplinary procedures and was approved in accordance with the Police Act and Regulation 370, Cap 389 of the 2010 Laws of the Federation, as amended.

The offence, categorised under paragraph ‘E’ of the First Schedule of the Police Act, led to the immediate termination of Mohammed’s appointment.

Police authorities have directed that all official items issued to the dismissed officer, including his police identification card, be retrieved, and his salary stopped.

His records will also be updated to reflect the dismissal.

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has revealed that the team is yet to receive the promised $100,000 reward, along with other commitments made by the Federal Government, following their victory at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, Ajibade expressed disappointment over the delay in payment.

Chude asked, “Have they delivered the $100,000”?

“We have not received our money, but hopefully, it would be paid. They have not paid, all the promises, we have not received anything,” she said.

Ajibade led the Super Falcons to victory in Morocco, clinching their record-extending WAFCON title.

Following the triumph, President Bola Tinubu conferred national honours of Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) on the team and their technical crew.

The President also rewarded each players with $100k and a three-bedroom flat.

Receiving them at the Presidential Villa on Monday, Tinubu praised the players for their “indomitable spirit of resilience, determination and courage”, describing their win as a historic achievement for Nigeria.

Don’t Beat Frustrated Nigerians With ‘Koboko,’ Show Empathy, Give Them Hope, Sultan Of Sokoto Tells Tinubu, Governors

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged President Bola Tinubu, the 36 state governors, and other political leaders to listen attentively to the concerns of Nigerians rather than responding with harshness or repression.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during the launch of NASFAT’s history book to mark the organisation’s 30th anniversary, the Sultan cautioned against what he described as “beating Nigerians with koboko (horsewhip)” whenever they voice their frustrations over the state of the nation.

Instead, he said, leaders should show empathy and reassure citizens that better days lie ahead.

He urged Nigerian leaders to look at the people with the sympathy of a father for his child, stressing that justice must take precedence over injustice in governance.

The Sultan also expressed worry over the decline in quality education among Nigerian youths and called for renewed investment in human capital development.

He urged citizens to pray for their leaders rather than curse them, adding that constructive engagement is key to national progress.

He said that whatever problems they are facing or cries they are hearing, they should not carry a ‘koboko’ and whip people. Instead, they should extend a gentle hand, touch someone, and say, “Look, things will be okay.”

He also stressed that Nigeria cannot endure injustice if it is to survive, and that leaders at all levels must prioritise justice and fairness in all their dealings, while urging Nigerians to turn to God.

According to Sultan, “Justice is the foundation of any society”.

He said, “As Sheikh Abdulrauf said, a nation can endure with unbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice. So let’s face justice in whatever we do.

“Our leaders, our followers, all need to be just in whatever we do. And I believe, conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it. Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it.

“Let’s tell ourselves the whole truth in whatever we do, how we do things. And let’s believe in almighty Allah as the owner of heaven and earth, as owner of everything and all of us, who brought us into this world to worship him.

“So, keep on doing the good work, and leave the rest to almighty Allah to bless all of us, as Muslims, as non-Muslims in this great country. Let’s pray for our leaders every time.

“From Mr. President, to all the governors, to all the local men chairman, to all our leaders at all levels. We need to pray for our leaders to do right, to do just. If you pray for your leader, he does good things, you enjoy.

“If you are lying to his whims and caprices, he does bad things, you will suffer. So let’s all just pray for our leaders. I want to say this, every time I have an opportunity like this, I want to say please pray for our leaders, for good health, for direction, and for that steadfastness of knowing that you as a leader, you will account for whatever you have done on earth to the almighty Allah.

“People say yes, times are tough, yes. But when times are tough, tough people overcome such tough times. Let’s believe whatever almighty Allah bless on us is his own will, his own wish, and we will overcome this.”

“And I believe 100% almighty Allah will bring ease to all of us in this great country and beyond. Let’s go back to him and him alone. Only him can give. Only him takes," Sultan added.