₦airaland Forum

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has urged Nigerians to be patient with the Bola Tinubu-led administration as the monarchs head into seclusion to commune with the ancestors.


The monarch while in seclusion for seven days is expected to pray to God for the country.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Moses Olafare on Monday, the monarch before going into seclusion, said the rite is the most sacred moment for him on the throne which he utilises to interact with his ancestors and pray for the people, the Oduduwa race worldwide, as well as mankind in general.

“This time around, I want to pray and seek for the face of our Creator to intervene on the current economic situation.

“Things are very tough and people are feeling the hardship, I want to pray for all and sundry and specially urge the youths to exercise patience so that we will not used our hands to destroy our country.


“I know that people are passing through difficult periods in which they are not finding life easy and truly this is a challenging period.

“But I know that after this festival, normalcy will return to the country, as the problems we’re facing will soon come to an end,” Ooni said.

He however urged the present government to do more to serve the populace by making bountiful dividends of democracy for the citizenry.


The seclusion usually precedes the annual Olojo celebrations, which allows the Ooni to withdraw from the human distractions. It is usually marked by silence, reflection, and spiritual cleansing, allowing him to focus solely on the divine communication with the spirits.

During this time, he undertakes solemn prayers and makes offerings, not only on behalf of the Yoruba race but for the peace, prosperity, and well-being of the entire nation. It is a time of deep intercession, seeking the favour of the gods for good harvests, protection, and guidance for his people.

Oba Ogunwusi will be marking his 9th edition of the Olojo festival on Saturday 28th when he will be appearing to the public with the sacred Crown of Oduduwa known as ‘Ade Are’ worn once a year to commemorate the first day of the mankind.

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has described Nigeria as technically bankrupt.

Obaseki added that the Federal Government was “stuck in the past” and needed to restructure the country for progress.

The governor made this statement during a one-on-one interview on the Channels Television programme Politics Today on Thursday evening.

Obaseki explained that the country neither had enough nor earned enough to cover its expenditure, adding that government spending was also not decreasing.

He stated that the government must ensure that individual states took advantage of economic opportunities, noting that the Federal Government could not continue to centrally manage resources.

“Nigeria is technically bankrupt. And I mean it. When you are bankrupt anywhere in the world, like in the United States, you file for what they call Chapter Eleven. You restructure your affairs so that you can reorganise and meet your obligations. Nigeria is not restructuring in that sense; it still behaves as if it had money like it used to.

“It (Nigeria) has been in trouble for a while. I won’t say insolvent, but technically so, in the sense that we don’t have enough to cover our expenditure, we are not reducing our expenditure, and we are not earning more.”

“First, the Federal Government does not have the capacity to manage the economy at the scale and in the way it is currently doing. You’re producing 1.3 million barrels of oil, right? Because you are trying to do it centrally. We have 147 oil wells in Edo, and only 53 or fewer are producing.”

“Unless you create a new design that allows the individual states to take advantage of the economic opportunities they have, stressing the assets of this country and paying what they need to pay to the central government, the federal government cannot sit and try to micromanage the country and its assets. It has shown that it cannot. It doesn’t have the capacity to do so,” he said.

He also expressed his belief that the Federal Government was stuck in the past, stating that the current structure of the country was outdated and that a new structure was needed to effectively manage the economy.

“I think for me, it’s like this federal government is stuck, and stuck in the past. Because you cannot resolve a malignant problem using the same tools you have used over the years.

“It’s not that the people there are not smart; it’s not that they’re stupid. It’s more that they just don’t have the courage to make the decisions they need to make.

“The problem with Nigeria today is structural. The structure we have is expired; it’s outdated. We need a new structure to run the economy of the state. If it doesn’t happen, we are not going anywhere,” Obaseki stated.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that times are hard and Nigerians are currently hungry and angry.

Makinde made this declaration on Wednesday while performing the ground-breaking ceremony for the upgrading of Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Alakia, Ibadan, to international standards.

The governor, while addressing the gathering, said that his government will not implement policies that will increase the hardship the citizens are facing currently.

Makinde affirmed that his government had paid due compensation to landowners in Ajia who lost their property to the new Air Force Base being constructed in the area.

He said: “We took an important decision yesterday at the Executive Council Meeting. We know times are hard and Nigerians are hungry and angry. But I hope this will not boil over. But in Oyo State, we have control over what we can do here.

“I can see that the House has passed the Presumptive Tax Bill. Yes, it came from us because if we need to expand the economy, we need to generate money. I will sign it into law but we will not implement it for now.

“Let me especially thank the members of the committee who worked on the project in the last six weeks to make it possible for the official groundbreaking ceremony to take place today.

“Some people do not think that upgrading this airport at this time is a good idea, but the decision to upgrade this airport to international standard is based on data and logic. In the next twelve months, this project will be delivered. I will push the envelope.

“This airport will connect Oyo State to a global market. It will improve ease of doing business, bringing investments into agribusiness, manufacturing and technology sectors and positioning Ibadan as a true regional business hub.”

According to him, it is a strategic investment that includes a first and second phase that will culminate in the upgrading of the airport, the runway, airfield lighting, terminal and other critical facilities.

Burnt food may seem harmless, but it poses significant health risks. When food is charred or burnt, it undergoes chemical changes that release toxic compounds. Regular consumption of burnt food exposes individuals to significant health risks, potentially leading to severe health consequences.

PUNCH Online in this report highlights the health risks associated with eating burnt food.

1. Cancer Risk

Burnt food contains carcinogenic compounds like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs), and Acrylamide.

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These substances can increase cancer risk, particularly for, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.

2. Neurological Damage

Burnt food contains neurotoxins like Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) and lipid peroxides.

These compounds can damage brain cells, leading to, cognitive impairment, memory loss, and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s)

3. Digestive Issues

Burnt food can irritate the digestive tract and cause inflammation, and Oxidative stress which can lead to heartburn, bloating, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.

4. Cardiovascular Disease

Consuming burnt food regularly can, Increase blood pressure, raise cholesterol levels, and damage blood vessels.

5. Weakened Immune System

Burnt food contains immunosuppressive compounds, making you more susceptible to infections.

6. Respiratory Problems

Inhaling smoke from burnt food can lead to respiratory tract irritation, Asthma, and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Prevention Tips

•Cook food at lower temperatures.

* Avoid charring or burning food.

•Use cooking methods like steaming or roasting.

•Don’t eat food that has been reheated multiple times.


•Choose cooking oils with high smoke points.

Recognizing Burnt Food

* Blackened or charred appearance.

•Unpleasant, acrid smell.

•Bitter or unpleasant taste.

Conclusion

While an occasional burnt meal may not pose significant harm, regular consumption can have severe health consequences. Be mindful of your cooking techniques and food choices to protect your health.

DOES the Bola Tinubu administration have an effective and coordinated security strategy for taming the chronic killings and abductions? Since its inauguration in May 2023, the administration has logged a pathetic security record.

A new report by Amnesty International awoke Nigeria to this catastrophe: in Tinubu’s first month in office, attackers killed 123 persons. Unfortunately, the figures keep cascading.

Beacon Consulting, a security management firm, said 13,346 people have been killed, and 9,207 have been abducted in the 667 of the 774 LGs since Tinubu’s inauguration.

From May-December 2023 – eight months after taking office – 5,802 deaths and 2,754 abductions were recorded. These figures worsened in 2024 when 7,544 were killed while 6,453 were abducted from January-September. These crimes were attributed to terrorism, banditry, and herders’ attacks on farmers.

Over 150 persons were slaughtered during the last Christmas Eve in Plateau State. Bandits kidnapped 287 schoolchildren in March in Kuriga, Kaduna, and demanded N1 billion ransom.

More than 300 had been abducted a week earlier in the same village. No fewer than 10 people were killed and 160 abducted in coordinated attacks by bandits in May in Kuchi, Niger State.

Major massacres have occurred in Benue, Niger, Zamfara, Yobe, Kaduna and Yobe states in this period.

Nigeria has become an insecure space where even internally displaced persons are kidnapped in droves. In March, Boko Haram captured more than 400 people in three IDP camps in Gamborou-Ngala, Borno State.

These damning reports put the lie to the claim by Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun in July that crime rate is declining in the country.

Despite the introduction of the National Identification Number, abductors use mobile phones to call their victims’ families to collect ransom and post their activities on Instagram without being apprehended.

Of the N28.77 trillion 2024 budget, N2.03 trillion was allocated to defence, up from the N1.38 trillion earmarked to the sector of the N21.83 trillion in the 2023 budget. The disproportionate difference between the defence budget and crass insecurity is inexplicable. It raises the question of how effectively the security budget is being implemented.

There is a dearth of equipment such as radios, walkie-talkies, and phones. Police officers use their money to buy these equipment and uniforms.

Nigeria has 371,000 police officers securing 230 million people. This is grossly inadequate. Sadly, two-thirds of the paltry number is allocated to the VIPs. Shockingly, police officers are guarding clergies, musicians, and union leaders (read touts), even as communities are abandoned to be killed by criminals.

Governor Aminu Masari lamented in 2020 that only 30 police officers manned 100 villages in Katsina.

These killings will not go away without strong political will and a change in security strategy.

Nigeria has become a big den of kidnapping and an expansive theatre of killings since the incursion of insurgency. Despite the humongous allocations to defence, the country lost 53,135 to violence during the eight years of the immediate-past Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Despite the intervention of the security agencies, the insecurity still overwhelms their efforts. This calls for technology to secure the country’s vast space and people. The government must urgently do something about the porous borders being exploited by non-nationals to engage in arms proliferation, killings, and abduction.

The extant central police structure is not working. Nigeria should practice true federalism, as the other 24 federal jurisdictions globally. Therefore, the government must urgently implement the state police recommendation to ensure the effective security and safety of the people by their people who know their terrains.

The security agencies must engage in improved collaboration to put the heat on the non-state actors. The police should employ more hands. The government must adequately fund the police.

The intelligence units in the military, the DSS, and the National Intelligence Agency should drive intelligence.

Bandits have attacked Kurfi General Hospital in Kurfi local government area of Katsina state, shooting a watchman and abducting four women, including the wife of one of the health officials on duty.

A reliable source from the area told our reporter that three of the bandits who entered the hospital around 10:45am unarmed, later engaged the guardsman who intercepted them to inquire about their mission at the hospital.

“Whey they started arguing, the watchman quickly went and locked the hospital gate, unknown to him that other armed members of the attackers were outside.

“They jumped over the wall fence and shot the watch man in the stomach. It was thought that he had died but was later given first aid and rushed to a hospital in Katsina” the source said.

Daily Trust gathered that the attackers had wanted to abduct one Mustapha Hamza who is a casual staff of the hospital on duty at the time, but he luckily escaped but unfortunately his wife, who accompanied him to the hospital, was abducted in the process.

“Mustapha is an anastasia nurse and he was on call at the time to attend to a woman who would undergo a surgery.

“Usually, his wife would follow him when ever he is called because she would not be comfortable staying back home alone. And that was how she fell victim in the attack,” a source who craved anonymity said.

Kurfi was hitherto more or less a fortified town as bandits hardly gained access due to activities of local vigilante group supported by some well-to-do members of the community.

However, that fortification was broken with the collapse of the vigilante group, with some residents blaming it on political differences of some highly-placed individuals in the area.

Not long ago, a nursing mother was abducted with her twin children and the third one who is not more than four years old.

A resident of Kurfi told Daily Trust that the mother and twin children were released by their captors after the payment of N3.5m.

However, the young boy, fondly called AK, is still in captivity as the bandits have asked for an additional N1.5m for his release.

Another resident of Kurfi blamed some of the recent attacks on informants who migrated to the town when it was safer.

Though there is no official statement from security agencies, the Kurfi council chairman, Mannir Shehu Wurma, confirmed the attack, assuring that the council is on top of the situation.

Sonnobax15:

The same meal they have been serving Innoson motors since time immemorial,they have started to serve Dangote too..... But the only problem here is that Dangote has always been a part of the problem right from onset,cuz he has been feasting on the monopoly....

So let him enjoy.

During Spaces session on Wednesday, Devakumar V. G. Edwin - Vice President, Dangote Industries Limited revealed key insights into the challenges facing the Dangote Refinery and its impact on Nigeria’s fuel supply and prices:

Over 95% of petroleum product importers in Nigeria are not buying from the Dangote Refinery.

👉The Dangote Refinery struggles to sell about 29 tankers of diesel per day due to low patronage from local petroleum product importers.

👉As a result of this poor local patronage, dangote refinery exports most of its diesel and aviation fuel.

👉The Dangote Refinery has imported around 57 shiploads of crude, as local supply from the NNPC remains limited.

👉Petroleum product marketers in Nigeria have written to President Bola Tinubu, complaining that the refinery’s local diesel prices — which have dropped from N1,200 to N1,000 and now to N900 per litre — are negatively impacting their businesses.

👉Despite the challenges, 44% of dangote refinery’s petrol production capacity is sufficient to meet all of Nigeria’s local demand.

👉Currently, around 29 tankers are lifting fuel from the the depot of other importers daily.

The Palace of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Garbai Elkenemi, and other parts of Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State were submerged by flood in the early hours of Tuesday.

The PUNCH gathered from residents that the Shehu has left his palace to the Government House where he is currently taking refuge.

A resident of Kofar Shehu said, “This is shocking! I have never witnessed this before. Even the Shehu has left his palace to the Government House.”

Our correspondent in Maiduguri gathered that areas including Lagos Street, Modugari, Post Office, and Gwange are the worst affected parts as residents struggle to rescue their properties and lives.

In an interview with one of the victims, Usman Babagana, he said there were early warnings that more water may come, but residents were adamant because they had no place to go

He stated, “We were told flood is coming. I never expected it this Way. We didn’t take it much seriously because we had nowhere to go.”

A pedestrian who was stuck by the flood around the post office area, Buba Jibril, told our correspondent, “This is the worst of it all I have witnessed since my stay in Maiduguri. I hope that this will not lead to untold hardship.”