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The Federal Government has hinted at plans to establish “Renewed Hope Cultural Villages” across the 36 states in a bid to promote Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and boost the creative industry,

Special Assistant to Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Abiola Jagunlabi, speaking in an interview with journalists in Ilorin disclosed that the project is part of the Federal Government’s “Renewed Hope Cultural Project,” aimed at preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage, promoting tourism and driving economic growth.

According to Jagunlabi, the cultural villages will be established in collaboration with state governments, with the aim of transforming historic sites into vibrant creative hubs, fostering economic growth and job creation in the arts and entertainment sectors.

He explained that the project will focus on restoring and conserving historic sites, monuments, palaces, and artefacts, as well as enhancing cultural education and capacity building in local crafts.

“The project’s success relies on the active participation and collaboration of state governments, local communities, and stakeholders.

“By working together, Nigeria can unlock the transformative power of its arts, culture, tourism, and creative industries for sustainable development and social cohesion.

“The initiative, which aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is expected to have a significant impact on the country’s economy, creating thousands of jobs and generating revenue through tourism and creative enterprises” Jagunlabi said.

Jagunlabi further said that the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, is committed to boosting Nigeria’s economy through innovative programmes and policies.

To achieve this, she’s forging partnerships to develop the creative industry, unlocking job opportunities for the country’s youth.

This comprehensive approach, he said, will not only enhance Nigeria’s creative industry but also contribute to the country’s economic diversification and development.

He revealed that the National Economic Council (NEC) has already approved the project, paving the way for the transformation of Nigeria’s creative industry.

Some commercial vehicle operators in Ibadan have lamented the low turnout of passengers travelling for the Eid-el-Fitr celebration and holidays.

The drivers, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Saturday, said there had been no significant surge in passenger traffic at the motor parks.

NAN reports that the respondents spoke at the Ojoo, Iwo Road and Sango motor parks.

They noted that the situation was different from the rate at which commuters travelled during the 2025 New Year celebration.

NAN, however, reports a slight upward review of transport fares to the lesser cities, while the fare to Lagos and other major cities did not change.

Mr Azeez Abdullah, an official of the Park Management System (PMS) at Iwo Road Bus Terminal, said many were forced to celebrate in their base due to the nation’s economic realities.

This, he said, contributed to the low turnout of commuters across all routes.

He added that the transport fare from the park to Lagos remained the same at between ₦3,500 and ₦4,500, depending on the destination park in Lagos.

“Transport fare to Ilesa, Ondo and Ado-Ekiti stays at N4,500, N5,000 and N7,000, respectively; we cannot increase the fare now because passengers are not rushing,” he said.

Similarly, a driver at Ojoo Bus Terminal, who chose to be anonymous, reiterated that passengers were not travelling as expected, thus forcing commercial motorists to maintain the transport fare.

He, however, noted that passengers might pay a little higher while returning to their base after the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

Increased kidnapping: Transporters adopt ‘soole’ method as low patronage hits inter-state travels
According to him, this will be due to the usual rush to catch up with the official resumption date for civil servants and other workers who must resume work.


A passenger at the Sango Motor Park, Mr Abeeb Adeleye, said he had stayed for hours waiting for a bus to Saki to be filled up.

He confirmed that there had been no significant increase in the transport fare due to the low turnout of passengers.

The International Monetary Fund has urged the Federal Government to ensure that its efforts to stabilise economy and boost growth are supported by measures that protect the country’s poorest citizens.

To ease the suffering of the poorest citizens, the IMF asked the Federal Government to expedite the completion of its cash transfer programme to support the vulnerable households.

According to the Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, Julie Kozack, the cash transfer is a crucial priority in the face of ongoing economic reforms.

Kozack made the call during a press briefing on Thursday.

“We do recognise the extremely difficult situation that many Nigerians face. For that reason, I just want to emphasise that completing the rollout of cash transfers to vulnerable households is an important priority for Nigeria, as is improving revenue mobilisation domestically,” Kozack said.

She confirmed that the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath, had visited Nigeria earlier in March and met with key officials, including the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso.


Kozack added that IMF staff would return to Nigeria next week in preparation for the 2025 Article IV Consultation, a periodic assessment of the country’s economic and financial policies.


She noted that further updates on Nigeria were expected after the team concludes its mission.

Last year, the IMF advised Nigeria to extend its cash transfer programme to rural areas in light of rising poverty and food insecurity.

The Fund has consistently urged the government to scale up the initiative as a means of helping poor Nigerians navigate the worsening cost of living crisis.

The World Bank recently stated that cash transfer programmes were essential in helping Nigerians escape intergenerational poverty, especially at a time when inflation and weak economic growth are hitting the poorest the hardest.

The call was made by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Food Security, Barrister Yejide Ogundipe, while delivering a speech on ‘Food Security and the Role of Research Institutions in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, at a quarterly meeting of provost of national committees of agricultural research institutes and related matters.

Ogundipe also expressed concern that over the years Nigeria has been referred to as having “agricultural potential”, but “potential alone does not fill empty stomachs.”

Meanwhile, she pointed out that the agricultural research institutions occupy a strategic position and play a key role in achieving food security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to her, the Tinubu-led administration has put the nation’s agricultural sector in the front burner as he had demonstrated a strong political will to change the narrative as he made food security a core priority under his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

She also added that agricultural education institutions should extend their focus beyond production and provide training on post-harvest management solutions to reduce food losses and improve food availability.

She said: “Despite agriculture’s critical role in our economy, Nigeria still struggles to feed itself. “For decades, our nation has been described as one filled with promise and vast agricultural potential. Yet, as we all know, potential alone does not fill empty stomachs.

“Furthermore, Colleges and Research Institutes must transition agriculture from being purely theoretical to practical, actively engaging in farming for food production.

“Academic institutions in Nigeria possess vast tracts of unused land that can be repurposed for food production and food processing hubs. These institutions can help curb the food crisis by involving undergraduates and youth from local communities in farming activities, while adopting modern agricultural practices and tools. This initiative will not only provide food for university residents and host communities but also cultivate a new generation of skilled agricultural practitioners.”

However, she noted that agricultural productivity remains low, and food production has not kept pace with Nigeria’s rapidly growing population. Several challenges, including insecurity, climate change, and outdated farming practices, continue to hinder progress in the sector.


Therefore, she highlighted that the President recognizing the urgent need for action, the President took three strategic steps immediately after assuming office: Declaration of state of emergency on food security on July 13, 2023.Renaming the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasizing the government’s renewed focus on ensuring food availability for all Nigerians.

Also he created the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security, with a clear mandate to drive policy integration, promote sustainable food production and supply, and enhance stakeholder coordination in tackling food insecurity.

She also urged Nigerians and relevant agricultural institutions to work in synergy and not in silos to act now, because, “Food security is not merely a policy agenda — it is a national imperative. We must leverage the knowledge and expertise within our research institutions and educational bodies to address the pressing challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

“Through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to progress, we can transform agriculture into a thriving and sustainable sector that guarantees food for every Nigerian. Let us work together to turn our agricultural potential into reality.”



Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, ARCN, Garba Sharubutu, and other officials commended the efforts of the Tinubu-led administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food and nutrition security, and assured their support and readiness to assiduously work with the Tinubu administration to ensure that agricultural colleges receive the necessary resources to drive innovation and productivity in the sector.

However, in a remark, the President of the National Committee of Agricultural Research Institutes and Related Matters and Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Dr Fadiyimu Akinyemi, lamented the neglect of Colleges of Agriculture as they struggle to survive in terms of lack of funding and institutional support, which they have been longing and begging for but had always bypassed them, therefore, the nation’s agricultural sector has been in a deep crisis.

“Universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education receive intervention funds, but agricultural colleges get nothing. Who will explain why?” he questioned.

He also alleged that Colleges of Agriculture do not benefit from TETFund interventions, while speaking on lack of access by the agric colleges to commercial bank loans, or even private sponsorships, which are areas that would have boost the productivity of the colleges to salvage Nigeria from the current food crisis.

“A rare opportunity for private funding arose in 2023 when an individual proposed a research centre, but bureaucracy has stalled the initiative.


“Despite their hands-on approach, they remain underfunded, unrecognized, and institutionally invisible”, he lamented.

Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting expressed optimism that the panacea to food security and performance by research institutes is for government and donor agencies to increase and improve funding, sustainable policy implementation process devoid of politicisation, and genuine collaborative efforts, and also assured that if the right things are put in place and done Nigeria’s agricultural colleges will galvanize the sector.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, an ally of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, wanted over allegations of money laundering and criminal conspiracy.

Achimugu, who is accused of secretly funnelling funds to opposition leaders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections, was officially declared wanted in a circular issued by the anti-graft agency on Friday.

The EFCC, in its statement, called on the public to provide information about her whereabouts, listing her last known address as 6C, Rudolf Close, Maitama, Abuja.

The circular, signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated: "The public is hereby notified that AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGU, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Criminal Conspiracy and Money Laundering.

“Achimugu, 51, is an indigene of Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Anybody with useful information as to her whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies."

This development follows an exclusive report by Peoples Gazette, which revealed that President Bola Tinubu was "furious and felt betrayed" after receiving intelligence that funds linked to Sanwo-Olu’s ally, Achimugu, had made their way to Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.

The report suggests that Tinubu viewed the situation as a serious act of political betrayal, potentially endangering Sanwo-Olu’s political career.

A top government official told Peoples Gazette: “The president was furious and felt betrayed when he was informed that this actually happened. He has absorbed deceptive political tactics all his life, but he was uncharacteristically hurt by this one.”

Security sources investigating Achimugu’s financial activities allegedly traced large sums to both Obi and Abubakar after the 2023 elections, raising questions about Sanwo-Olu’s political allegiance.

The Gazette further reported that the funds may have been distributed as part of a compromise to secure Sanwo-Olu’s re-election after Tinubu’s shock loss in Lagos during the presidential polls.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, a protégé of Tinubu, now finds himself at the centre of a political storm that could jeopardise his political career. Analysts suggest that the EFCC’s sudden interest in Achimugu is a sign that the presidency may be preparing to cut ties with the Lagos governor.

In a related development, on March 14, 2025, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that President Tinubu had disclosed that he stepped in to facilitate the reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly after detecting the influence of the state executive, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in Obasa’s impeachment.

According to sources present at a meeting that Tinubu held with state lawmakers, the President expressed concern over Sanwo-Olu’s level of influence, stating that it was troubling for the governor to wield such power and that he had a vested interest in who became the Speaker of the Assembly.

The meeting was held to address the leadership crisis within the Lagos State House of Assembly.

An official familiar with the investigation stated: “They should’ve known that the president has informants everywhere. And Governor Sanwo-Olu especially should have known that there was no way he could get away with being in bed with opposition figures who have sworn to undermine the president at every turn.”

Vanguard can authoritatively confirm that there is a plot to compromise the 2027 general election through the instrumentality of appointing a yes-man as a replacement for Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the National Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Yakubu’s tenure ends in November of this year when he will have served two terms.

What Vanguard cannot confirm is when the plot began.
At press time, Vanguard investigations revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is yet to be fully boarded on the plot’s platform.

However, forces pulling the strings from outside Aso Rock Presidential Villa are known friends of the President.

They are also working with powerful Aso Rock insiders.
The arrowhead of this move is a former South-South governor and a member of the class of 1999.

This comes at a time the credibility of the Election Management Body is suffering a massive discount due to the 2023 general elections and the off-season elections it has conducted since then.

One option being pursued for the plot to succeed is the nomination and confirmation of a malleable individual as Yakubu’s successor.

A number of names (withheld by Vanguard) is already being put forward for possible consideration.

Unfortunately, the individuals positioned by the plotters had served as National Commissioners of the Commission, and Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, who did not dress themselves in shining armour during their tenure.

In fact, the seemingly plausible consideration for their choice is the extent of their malleability, which would mean an erosion of INEC’s credibility in conducting free, fair, and credible elections.

Nigerians recall with nostalgia how the 2003 and 2007 general elections went, culminating in the public admission by a beneficiary of the 2007 sham presidential election, late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, that there were flaws in the election that brought him to power.

Flouting constitutional provision
Under a democracy with a written Constitution, unlike the British parliamentary system where the Constitution is unwritten, the power exercisable by any elected or appointed state official like the President must derive from the Constitution; otherwise, it is null and void.

That is why Section 1 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) declares unambiguously: “This Constitution is supreme, and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons, (including the President) throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

INEC is established under Section 153 of the Constitution.
The mode of appointment of the Chairman and members is provided for under Section 154(1) and (2) of the Constitution only. In exercising his power to appoint the Chairman or members of INEC, the Constitution mandatorily says, “the president shall consult the Council of State”, and such appointment again “shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.”

The Constitution established INEC as genuinely independent and clearly stated under the Third Schedule, Paragraph 14, that its members “shall be persons of unquestionable integrity” and “shall not be members of a political party.”

Recently, card-carrying members of the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, were appointed as Commissioners in INEC. Unfortunately, this practice did not start with the APC.

Avoiding former President Buhari’s blunder
On Tuesday, June 30, 2015, something very curious but strangely indecipherable, happened when President Muhammadu Buhari, who rode on the back of the vigour and determination of Nigerians to engage change, threw INEC into a cesspit of needless controversy, by not appointing a substantive national chairman for INEC until the tenure of the largely reformative Professor Attahiru Jega ended.

Acting in line with statutes and order of seniority, Jega had handed over to Ambassador (Dr.) Ahmed Wali to head and supervise the activities of the commission until a substantive chairman is appointed “in consultation with the Council of State” – as stated by the constitution.

However, within 24 hours, Buhari, who had just been sworn-in, barely 36 hours earlier, overruled Jega and appointed a familial, nay filial relation, Mrs Amina Bala Zakari, as acting head of INEC.

The Head of The Civil Service of The Federation at that time, Barr. Danladi Kifasi, who conveyed the appointment in a letter, said the appointment was with effect from 30th of June, 2015 until the appointment of a substantive chairman.

At that time, both Wali and Zakari were National Commissioners of INEC.

But in terms of seniority, Wali trumped Zakari.

Interestingly, Buhari, who had been declared winner of the presidential election of March 2015 and who ought to have been briefed by his transition team on appointments he needed to make immediately he assumed office, either had no clue about what was happening in INEC or had made up his mind to appoint a family member as INEC chairman.

The furore Buhari’s misstep generated in the country at that time threw INEC under the bus and it took several investigative stories by Vanguard, accompanied by opposition from patriotic activists in the country to stop Buhari from appointing his ‘sister’ as INEC chairman.

It was not until Wednesday, October 21, 2015 — almost four months after — that Buhari appointed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as substantive INEC chairman, after a series of lobbying and counter-lobbying to get a ’suitable replacement’ for Jega.

That ‘suitable replacement’ conducted the two controversial 2019 and 2023 general elections – whereas the former was immersed in a controversy over the presence of a server in INEC, the latter suffered incalculable damage when its much- touted BVAS and IReV platforms were rendered ineffective.

There are five clear months ahead for President Tinubu to seek and appoint a fitting replacement in the mould of a Jega, as was done in Ghana, when Kwadwo Afari-Gyan’s tenure ended, and Madam Jean Mensa was appointed to continue the good works Afari-Gyan started.

Why President Tinubu should be concerned about the credibility of polls
Aso Rock insiders have reliably informed Vanguard that President Tinubu understands the importance of credible polls.

According to a source close to the President, “his declaration that NYSC members should be used to support the conduct of the coming census is not just about saving cost alone but about ensuring credibility of the process. It is the same way he is looking at the appointment of who will succeed Professor Yakubu. He wants a credible process, and he wants to help ensure that Nigerians’ confidence in INEC is not shaken”.

There is a positive history about this.
Nigerians remember President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan because of his legacy of the free, fair, and credible general elections in 2015. That is why he enjoys international recognition as a credible election observer.

Before Jonathan, former head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar enjoyed plausible international recognition after he handed over to a civilian administration and completed a transition programme that saw a credible election process in 1999.

Owu-born former military and civilian president Mathew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo continues to enjoy international acclaim because of his 1979 transition programme, which birthed the Second Republic. This was when African Heads of State were transmuting into civilian presidents.

These speak to global recognition of the critical role credible elections play and the primacy of integrity of the leader under whose watch such elections are conducted or vice versa.

The Nigerian Electoral laws about the best in Africa but require operators with integrity

Like many African countries that subscribe to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD, peer review democratic process and the AU Charter on Democracy and Good Governance, Nigeria has domesticated the same norms and standards and even gone further to extend their utility in the Nigerian context by innovating with processes such as Biometric electronic voters register, the use of electronic transmission of election results from polling units and several other amendments to the electoral rules approved by political actors based on experiential recommendations to improve the integrity of the electoral process.

Yet, despite these innovations, which, in many instances, are well ahead of other electoral legislative frameworks in Africa, operators often falter or are pressured to falter in implementing the framework’s provisions and guidelines.

How dependable institutional memory can deliver effective election management
The Akwa-Ibom and Abia instances demonstrated the important impact of human agency, which contrasted with the Adamawa scenario.

These contrasting scenarios, along with the dogged fashion demonstrated in Akwa Ibom by REC, Mike Igini, in pursuing the prosecution of two university professors for electoral offences and the actions of Professor Nnenna Oti in Abia, refusing to be cowed into announcing a fraudulent result, are stark comparisons to the actions of Adamawa REC, who, against electoral guidelines, decided to announce a fictitious governorship election result.

In the same vein, removing one Chidi Nwafor as Director of ICT negatively impacted the 2023 general elections, particularly the embarrassing malfunctioning of the IREV, the inviolability of which Professor Yakubu had boasted.

Then there is the non-re-appointment of Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, a National Commissioner in charge of Operations who saved the Anambra elections from manipulation — even from internal sabotage — and represents a blight by not acknowledging and promoting appointees who have demonstrated a high sense of integrity.
Even the late Professors Eme Awa and Humphrey Nwosus’s team of electoral operators still have some living members.

Whereas they may have advanced in age, Professors Adele Jinadu, a former National Commissioner, and Tonnie Iredia, NEC Director of Public Affairs, are still alive and their institutional memory would be invaluable to the Tinubu administration.

The Nigerian electoral process requires a root and branch reform beyond policing election malpractice and fraud, one steeped in appointing and retaining those with a proven track record of diligence and probity.
The appointment of tested and trusted hands will assist in de-escalating the competitiveness of elections, and the process may become more manageable in terms of procedures, including minimising the influence of political actors in determining how election laws are formulated and approved.

Such reforms and several others recommended and widely accepted by citizens as necessary for election integrity should be championed by the Tinubu regime as someone who rose to leadership under a process of resistance to election annulment.

Obtaining the public’s support for such revival will be a significant step towards greater legitimacy, as will appointing credible election managers to steer such reforms to the EMB.

Former Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, who battled forces against the commission, ensured that the 2015 general elections enjoyed credibility while working with some trusted National Commissioners and RECs.

The Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed the killing of two Customs officers and one civilian by suspected Lakurawa gunmen in an attack on Tuesday at the Bachaka border in Argungu Local Government.

Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Abubakar, stated that while the Customs Service has multiple units and commands, the specific command of the slain officers remains unclear.

“Yes, there was an attack, and it resulted in the killing of two yet-to-be-identified Customs officers and one native of Bachaka village,” he said.

Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, visited the scene and assured that such attacks would not deter security forces.

“These sporadic assaults are signs of desperation from weakened criminal elements who are facing sustained military and law enforcement operations aimed at eliminating them,” he said.

This latest attack on security personnel and civilians comes just 24 hours after combined security forces neutralized two suspected Lakurawa in the state.

Efforts to get the Kebbi Custom Command’s reaction were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesman could not be reached at the time of filing this report.

THIS present administration has got many things to worry about. Insecurity is one of them. The high cost of living is another. The worst appears to be hunger and extreme poverty, which could trigger unrest with debilitating consequences. The government should act fast to arrest this ugly situation.

Worried by the situation, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria recently warned that the economic reforms initiated by the Bola Tinubu administration have triggered sky-rocketing inflation and pushed more Nigerians into poverty.

The bishops merely reiterated what Nigerians already knew. In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria was on the list of the 10 hunger-ravaged countries in the world.

In 2023, it was among the 22 countries classified as hunger hotspots in the world. The situation is worse in the North-East, where over four million people are on the danger list of food insecurity.

The World Bank Food Security Update Report, released in September 2024, noted that the number of people facing acute food shortage in Nigeria increased by 28 per cent in 2023. Also, 82 million Nigerians, or 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, per the UN.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (a UN agency) projects that over 31.1 million Nigerians faced the risk of acute food insecurity during the lean season between June and August 2025.

The Archbishop of Owerri and President of the CBCN, Lucious Ugorji, amplified that scenario in his speech at the opening session of the 2025 First Plenary Meeting of the conference in Abuja.

Quoting the World Bank, which projected that 129 million Nigerians lived below the poverty line, Ugorji added that the 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis listed Nigeria in second place globally in the acute food insecurity index.

Many Nigerians are frustrated, confused and sad. In August 2024, disturbing hunger protests rocked different parts of the country. Some citizens have developed some form of mental illness, while some who cannot bear it have committed suicide.

The Presidency is wont to defend the Federal Government policies despite criticism. On March 14, President Bola Tinubu met with the Catholic bishops in Abuja. He said the reforms were necessary to build a stronger country.

But reforms should have a human face. The sudden removal of the fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, and the floating of the naira exchange rate devastated many individuals and companies.

Consequently, the naira has grossly depreciated. The prices of goods and services have quadrupled. Many Nigerians cannot feed. Many companies operate at a loss. Some multinationals have exited Nigeria. Factory closures and job losses ensued.

Rather than lead by example, the political leaders engage in luxury. Last year, the Presidency added another expensive aircraft worth $150 million to the Presidential Air Fleet. The new residence for the Vice-President gulped N21 billion.

Members of the National Assembly went home soon after their inauguration with sports utility vehicles worth N57.6 billion. The NASS leadership reportedly moves about in a convoy of luxury vehicles that cost the country over N7 billion. About N90 billion was spent to subsidise the 2024 Hajj. This is a shame.

The government must retrace its steps. Agriculture is a priority for many advanced countries because they do not joke about food security. South Africa embraced biotechnology and encouraged its farmers to use genetically engineered seeds, which has improved crop yields.

The Nigerian government should emulate this. It should encourage mechanised all-season farming and lower tariffs to aid the growth of the productive sector.

Tinubu should not just focus on raising revenue, he should also ensure favourable ease of doing business in the country.

Excessive borrowing should stop. The welfare of the people should be paramount in whatever the government does.

Punch Editorial Board

Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has rejected any attempt by Nigerians to dictate the timing of his assessment of President Tinubu’s government.

He asserted his independence, making it clear that he would not be bound by external schedules.

Soyinka emphasised that he would only offer his evaluation when he deems it necessary and when he has substantive observations to share, dismissing the notion that he should adhere to a pre-determined timeline, such as the one-year mark of Tinubu’s presidency.

Soyinka asked Nigerians not to work on his timetable for him, saying he would speak on Tinubu’s government when he had something to say.

“People should stop trying to work on my timetable for me,” the nonagenarian cautioned those asking him to fulfil his promise to assess Tinubu’s administration after one year in office which elapsed on May 29, 2024.

“I had not swallowed an alarm clock,” Soyinka said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday.

“I don’t see why I should put my alarm on and say: ‘One year has passed, now, I must make an assessment’ if there is nothing I feel like talking about and if I am busy elsewhere.”

On Sunday, December 24, 2023, Soyinka paid a visit to Tinubu in his Bourdillon residence in the highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos. When asked to assess Tinubu’s administration which started on May 29, 2023, the Nobel laureate said he would reserve his comments about Tinubu’s government till after one year, in May 2024.

Critics have accused Tinubu, ex-Lagos governor, of mismanaging the economy, with all-time high inflation and unprecedented cost of living.

Tinubu’s administration would be two years in office by May 29, 2025, and many had expected Soyinka to fulfill his promise.

However, the academic said many conscientious persons had been speaking and that assessing any government is a collective responsibility of like-minded persons.

Soyinka said, “This business of ‘you haven’t come to do this’, I don’t understand it. Other people are doing the same; this is a collective effort. The Falanas speak consistently. The Baiyewus speak consistently. The Sowores come out and try to lead demonstrations. It’s a collective effort.

“The one year is up which means you have a right and I have a responsibility to respond when you call me on certain issues. But if you are saying that I would call a press conference and say: ‘One year is up, let us now make an assessment’.

“The only question I’d ask you is: ‘Did I do that with Jonathan?’ Did I do that with Buhari?’ ‘Did I do that with Obasanjo?’ ‘Did I do that with anybody? So, why is it expected of me?

“All it means is that one year is up. If I am around, and you want to get hold of me, I would speak. That’s all that statement meant.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State got more backing at the weekend.

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo lashed out at former President Goodluck Jonathan for criticising the presidential action.

Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris defended the “painful but responsible” action.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said a Rivers State without the emergency declaration, given the way things were going, could be better imagined.

Dr. Jonathan, speaking at the weekend, described the emergency declaration in Rivers as an abuse of power.


He went ahead to blame everybody, saying: “The executive, legislature and the judiciary know the correct thing to do but they are refusing to do it.”


Okpebholo, speaking during the kick-off of the 125-kilometre Benin-Auchi road yesterday, described ex-President Jonathan as not decisive when he was President, hence, his criticism of the proactive step by President Tinubu.

He said the declaration of emergency had saved Nigeria’s economy.

The governor said: “The man criticising President Tinubu did not take a similar step when he heard that they were going to kidnap the Chibok girls in 2014. It is better for a President to be proactive. The single decision taken by President Tinubu saved the economy of Nigeria.”


The Edo Governor added: “What President Tinubu did in Rivers State is a welcome development, to ensure peace in the Niger Delta.

“The decision he took to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State is in the best interest of Nigerians.

“When crude oil pipelines in Rivers State were being blown by militants, what did Nigerians expect Mr. President to do on the nation’s economic sustenance?”


Continuing, Okpebholo said: “When Jonathan was Nigeria’s President, the country’s total annual budget was not more than N1.6 trillion, but the N1.6 trillion is what we are sharing monthly (from the Federation Account) in this nation today. That is a man that has vision.”

It was the second time in five days that Okpebholo would back the presidential action.

On Thursday, he dissociated himself from the criticism of the presidential action by the Southsouth Governors Caucus.


He thanked the President for the ongoing Federal road projects in the state, adding that when Dr. Jonathan, a son of the Niger Delta, was President, Edo was not remembered.

Minister defends Tinubu

Idris told The Nation last night that: “The president has no intention whatsoever to take over the governance of Rivers State. He has no intention to appoint a governor for Rivers State.


“Rivers belongs to the people of the state. Just like all the other states of the federation have their governors and are functioning, the President also wants Rivers to function effectively.”

The minister explained that President Tinubu took a “very responsible but very painful decision” as governance in the state had collapsed.

Whalis:
We know who have been threatening to bomb pipeline if a certain governor is impeached.

Barely a week after a major explosion occurred on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, another explosion has reportedly struck the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a grassroots NGO with strong networks across the Niger Delta, confirmed the latest explosion on Sunday.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, YEAC said it received reports from its youth volunteers about an early morning explosion at the Soku oil facility operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.

According to the statement: “An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to reach. The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report.”

The cause of the explosion remains uncertain, with speculations ranging from: Equipment failure, Sabotage, Deliberate attack.

This marks the third explosion at oil facilities in Rivers State in less than a week. The first occurred in Ogoni, while the second was in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, an incident referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his March 18 nationwide broadcast while declaring a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.

Following these incidents, the President suspended: The Rivers State House of Assembly, Deputy Governor and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing his alleged failure to protect oil infrastructure

The decision followed threats by some youths in a viral video warning against Governor Fubara’s impeachment.

YEAC-Nigeria has called for an urgent investigation into the Soku explosion. The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause.

“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” the statement concluded.

A Nigerian soldier and a Police Inspector identified as Akowe Joel have been arrested for stealing customised batteries from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Also arrested is a staff member of the Railway Corporation.

A police signal obtained by SaharaReporters showed that the trio were caught at 3pm on March 19, 2025 in Kaduna by troops of Sub-Sector 4, Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

The operation is a joint military theatre command established to tackle insecurity in the North-West.

The signal read, “GOOD AFTERNOON SIR X SITREP X 20/03//2025 X 37 PMF X GRATEFUL BE INFORMED THAT X INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM ASP JOHN MOSES X UC MINE ON OPERATION FANSAN YAMMA KADUNA STATE X HAS IT THAT AT ABOUT 1500HRS OF 19/03/2025 X INSP AKOWE JOEL X MEMBER OF UNIT MINE ON SPECIAL DUTY X WAS CAUGHT ALONG WITH ONE SOLDIER X AND ONE STAFF OF THE NIGERIAN RAILWAY X FOR STEALING SOME CUSTOMISED BATTERIES X PROPERTY OF THE RAILWAY STATION KADUNA X SUBJECTS X HAVE BEEN DETAINED AT 1 DIV. NIGERIAN ARMY HQS KADUNA FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION X FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE CONVEYED SOON AS ARE AVAILABLE PLEASE XX XX

CO 37 PMF.”

This is coming months after two personnel of the Nigerian Army, CPL Innocent Joseph and L/CPL Jacob Gani were arrested for vandalising and stealing armoured cables at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos State.

They were caught moving out of the facility with 897 armoured cables cut to size.

The Northern Elders Forum has expressed displeasure over the recent political development in Rivers state which led to the suspension of Govenor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the House of Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, spokesperson of NEF, called on the President to immediately reinstate the governor and his deputy.

NEF observed that even though the President is empowered under Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) to declare a state of emergency on the Federation or any part of it, the situation in Rivers did not warrant a state of emergency.

“The president may by instrument published in the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation issue a proclamation of a state of emergency in the Federation or any part thereof.

“However, the president can only do so, if and only if, any the conditions stated in subsection 3 of Section 305 actually occurs which includes war, imminent invasion, breakdown of public order, clear and present danger, disaster or natural calamity, other public danger, or a request from the Governor of the State.”

“It is a public knowledge and indisputable fact that none of these conditions actually happened in Rivers State. Except perhaps for personal vendetta in alliance with the President’s serving Federal Minister of the FCT and the immediate past Governor of Rivers State who has been in personal conflict with the suspended Governor for selfish interests rather than public good,” NEF said.

“The Federal government and the President in particular must find a viable and permanent solution to the political crisis in Rivers State, and also immediately lift the suspension of the Governor, Deputy Governor and State Assembly to restore the spirit of democracy, justice and public order,”

The Forum also advised the Federal government not to allow the escalation of political disputes in some other states such as Kano, where at the moment there exists a standoff and tussle in the traditional institution of the Kano Emirate.