Politics
Segun Odunmbaku: A Man On Mission To Transform Ojodu
By Fiyinfoluwa Nelson
Hon David Oluwasegun Odunmbaku has officially threw his hat in the ring to contest for the chairmanship of the Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State in the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state slated for July 24, 2021.
With a first and second degree in Business and Information Technology from Dublin Business School, Ireland and a Masters in Computer and Information systems from Liverpool John Moorse University, United Kingdom in 2008, still not done with his quest for educational excellence, Odunmbaku proceeded to the prestigious Havard University School of Government, Boston USA for a programme in Public Financial Management. He also has in his educational kitty an Executive Masters Certificate in Project Management as well as a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from Pan Atlantic University, Victoria Island, Lagos. This impressive academic feat is sure worthy of mention.
As a past Secretary to Ikeja Local Government and current Secretary to Ojodu Local Government Development Authority, he is poised to bring this over a decade experience to improve on governance and service to the people. What makes this more interesting is that he was raised in Ojodu and has remained there in the last 42 years of his life, outside of educational pursuit.
A son of a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Cardinal James Omolaja Odunmbaku, popularly known as Baba Eto, who is a prolific politician and God’s servant, one can conveniently and safely conclude that Odunmbaku is adequately equipped for a time like this.
When asked of what sets him apart from other aspirants jostling for the chairmanship position, Odunmbaku simply retorted: “My experience in governance at the local government level, being the Secretary at Ikeja Local Government and currently at Ojodu LCDA. Apart from that, my passion and love for the people which runs in my family and obviously, I have the right foundation both in terms of educational trajectory and experience to take on the challenges of modern day governance.”
On some of the current issues affecting the council, Odunmbaku said: “Just like everything Post Covid, lives and businesses have been impacted. We need to adopt the new normal and become more creative by deploying technology to tackle developmental issues, youth and women empowerment, job creation, low IGR to mention a few.
In terms of specific plans for the council, he said: “I was born and brought up in Ojodu and so the whole area is a familiar turf for me. I have the passion and desire to build on the fantastic job that the current chairman has done. I want to build and expand the legacies for the betterment of our people in the area of access to basics – health and education and empowerment. Our Agenda would also focus on building the local economy in the LCDA
“At the moment, a statutory 70 per cent of the budget goes to capital projects. There are already plans to scale up social intervention programmes designed to meet the specific needs of our people in Ojodu, especially the elderly, the youths, women, entrepreneurs, and even those that are employed and want to acquire additional skills. This category of persons will heavily benefit from our social intervention initiatives.
“We will aggressively pursue capacity building and job creation. As we are building the competences of the people, we will also put in a programme to link those who have acquired skills with people who needs their services within the locality. I will strive as a youth and member of the younger generation to ensure that the gap between capacity building and absorption for job creation is reduced significantly by calling on businesses within the locality to see themselves as stakeholders and through various CSR initiatives, create employment programmes for our people.
“We plan to invest heavily on social investment programmes that are visible. When people see their money working for them, they will be motivated to pay their taxes. We will improve our health centres and markets. We will seek support on our inner roads, street lights, access to clean drinking water, create prograammes for the less privileged, assist those in the informal sector with palliatives, small loans, as well as train and retrain our youths. In this area, the plan is that our ICT centres must be properly accredited. Being the engine room of growth and development, we will focus on the informal sector in terms of helping them and assisting them to remain in business and grow.”
Odunmbaku, who attended the recent unveiling of a 5-Year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021-2025) by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration would go into partnership with the state government to scale up agriculture and food production.
For clarity, the Roadmap focuses on the development of agricultural value chains where the State has competitive and comparative advantages in order to ensure that the State’s self-sufficiency in food production moves from 18% to 40% in the next five years.
The initiative is also expected to boost food production and drastically reduce post-harvest losses thus encouraging private sector investments that would trigger agricultural transformation in the South-Western States following the examples of countries such as Kenya, Malawi, China among others who, within a 10-year period, made a significant reduction in the poverty level through Agricultural development.
According to Odunmbaku, “In terms of agriculture, post covid, Agriculture is the way to go by ensuring modern farming methods, grants, capacity building, market access and linkages are vigorously pursued to get our youths interested. Now, a lot of our youths are constantly on their mobile phones. With that, we can get our youths interested by providing revolving funds/cooperatives or we can have like Farmers Mart concept where Agricultural products can be gotten at wholesale prices, opened on designated days just like in Europe.
“We will provide off-takers for the famers in Ojodu so that when they are doing their farming, they are assured that somebody somewhere will pick it up. This will help to increase commercial activities. Therefore, we will take advantage of the newly launched 5-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap for the benefit of our people.”
Specifically in terms of healthcare delivery, Odunmbaku said plans have been firmed up and awaiting implementation for the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHCs) in the LCDA to function optimally and 24-hours daily.
“We will seek to provide alternative source of energy for them to function optimally. It may not be but we will ensure at least there one or two especially in areas with large concentration of people,” he said.
Another area of focus for Odunmbaku is to take advantage of the geographical location of Ojodu as one of the main gateways to Lagos by developing local economy around the Berger transport hub.
“As you know, Ojodu Berger has a major transport hub and as such, I want to create a local economy around the transport hub. We will seek the support and partnership of the state government in this regard. We want to create a lot of facilities such as shops, food courts, among others and in that way, we ensure that money circulates around Ojodu, thereby adding value to the people who are there and also developing the local economy.
“The plan is to transform Ojodu Berger to be like London King’s Cross Station. From King’s Cross Station, you can get to France, Birmingham and other locations in Europe. So also from Ojodu Berger, you can get a bus to any part of the state and anywhere in the country.
“So, I want to make Berger like King’s Cross Station in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. We have three hubs in Ojodu Berger, Grammar School and Ogba. We want to build on what has been done to create local economy around the parks by pushing people to the three clusters,” Odunmbaku said.
On education, it is a fact that primary school education, enrolment and teachers’ salaries are part of the functions of the local government. Therefore, the plan of Odunmbaku is to put measures in place to facilitate more enrolment of pupils.
“We want more primary schools; we want to double the enrolment of children in schools and in so doing, we are going to ensure that the children have all it takes to be interested in schooling. No one will be left behind especially in public school enrolment. We will continue to encourage parents in this regard. Also, primary school teachers’ salaries have been increased, however, as local council, we hope to do more in terms of providing better learning environment,” he said.
In linking health with environment, Odunmbaku said: “The THEMES Agenda of BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU administration has already set the tone in its Pillar 2 Health and Environment. While thanking LAWMA and the Office of Environment, we will ride on this and continue to ensure that the environment and issue of waste management will be taken seriously and properly coordinated but there is nexus between health and the environment. Yorubas say ilera loro. Ojodu is a special local government being the first point of contact to people coming from neighboring communities such as Alagbole, Akute, Ibafo, among other areas. A lot of people from these communities daily come to our health facilities to access medical care. We will continuously put measures and programmes in place to ensure no one is left behind in the LCDA.
“Health and environment are intertwined and as such we will do all possible to manage our environment in line with the policies of the state government to safeguard the health of residents. We will work on better roads, more schools, more public health facilities, and so on and so forth. I mean, the infrastructure in Ojodu must be topnotch so that the council becomes a reference point for people coming from outside,” he said.
On sports development, Odunmbaku has this to say: “We don’t have a recreation centre in Ojodu at the moment. We will work to create one. This will be one of the key priorities of our administration to engage our youths. We will also create inter-ward and inter-local government competition. Our youths will be encouraged to actively participate and this will also serve as a platform to discover talents.”
Politics
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
The Asiwaju Network has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately disengage underperforming ministers who failed to deliver their polling units and wards during the just-concluded bye-elections.
The group also urged a cabinet reshuffle to inject fresh energy and ensure that only those who can add political and governance value remain in the Federal Executive Council.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja and signed by its president, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Dandoka, the Asiwaju Network said the results of the elections were a litmus test that exposed the political weaknesses of some ministers entrusted with strategic national assignments.
At Babura Kofar Arewa Primary School in Jigawa State, where the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, cast his vote, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 308 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which managed only 112.
Badaru, a former governor of Jigawa and APC chieftain, left the venue without addressing journalists after casting his vote amid heavy security presence.
Dandoka said it was troubling that, despite his high office, the Defence Minister could not secure victory in his polling unit.
He argued that such political setbacks undermine the strength of the APC and the credibility of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope government.
“This defeat is both embarrassing and unacceptable. A minister who cannot win his polling unit cannot claim to possess the political capital required to defend the APC or promote the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. President Tinubu must act quickly to weed out weak links in his cabinet and replace them with men and women who have proven grassroots capacity,” Dandoka stated.
The group noted that Badaru was not alone in this failure, stressing that another minister from Jigawa and one from Enugu State also lost their wards and polling units.
According to the group, these developments point to a worrying trend of disconnect between certain ministers and their political bases.
“Ministers are not merely technocrats. They are political leaders of the party in their states and zones. If they cannot hold their homes together, then they do not deserve to hold on to strategic national offices. The bye-elections have sent a clear message, and it is that some ministers have lost relevance and electoral value,” the statement reads.
The Asiwaju Network maintained that the APC’s strength lies in grassroots mobilisation, and any minister unable to inspire loyalty within his immediate constituency is a liability.
Dandoka emphasised that President Tinubu’s success in governance must be matched with political consolidation, which requires capable and electorally grounded cabinet members.
“President Tinubu has been bold with tough decisions on subsidy reforms, the economy, and security. Nigerians are beginning to see the fruits of those reforms. But he must also be bold enough to reshuffle his cabinet. A government of results cannot afford ministers who are passengers. The President needs proven drivers of the Renewed Hope vision,” Dandoka said.
The group also commended loyal APC members and supporters who defied intimidation and attempts at rigging in Jigawa and Enugu, saying their resilience was the true strength of the ruling party.
“These members stood firm when those at the top failed to inspire confidence. They turned out in their numbers to defend the APC’s relevance even when some of their supposed leaders abandoned them. These grassroots soldiers of democracy must never be taken for granted,” Dandoka added.
The Asiwaju Network further urged President Tinubu to take the bye-election results as a warning, cautioning that retaining non-performing ministers would embolden the opposition and demoralise party loyalists.
“The message from Jigawa and Enugu is clear: the APC cannot continue to reward failure. A minister who cannot secure a few streets in his ward has no business in the Federal Executive Council. Mr President must urgently rejig his cabinet or risk carrying dead weight into future electoral contests,” the coalition warned.
Reaffirming the group’s loyalty to Tinubu’s leadership, Dandoka said Nigerians expect a government that rewards competence and accountability, not excuses and political failures.
“President Tinubu has the people’s mandate. He must not allow weak ministers to drag down his vision. A decisive cabinet reshuffle now will send a strong signal that the Renewed Hope government is serious about performance, delivery, and results,” he declared.
Customs at the Crossroads: When Lawmakers Look Away and the Executive Looks Aside
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In a democracy, legislative oversight is the scalpel that cuts through deceit, inefficiency, and corruption in public institutions. It is the people’s last institutional shield against abuse of power. But what happens when that shield becomes a shelter for the very rot it is meant to expose? And what happens when the Executive arm, whose duty is to supervise its agencies, pretends not to see?
The unfolding drama between the National Assembly and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reveals more than a policy dispute. It exposes a dangerous triangle of confusion, complicity, and economic sabotage. At stake is not only the rule of law but the survival of an economy already gasping under inflation, a weak naira, and suffocating costs of living.
The House Talks Tough
In June 2025, Nigerians saw a glimpse of legislative courage when the House of Representatives Committee thundered at Customs:
> “Nigerian Customs Service, by June 30, must not collect CISS again. You are to collect only your 4% FOB assigned by the President. Even the 7% cost of collection you currently take is illegal—it was an executive fiat of the military, not democratic law. Any attempt to continue these illegal collections will be challenged in court. The ‘I’s have it.”
The voice was firm, the ruling decisive. Nigerians expected a turning point.
But the righteous thunder of the House was quickly muffled by the Senate’s softer tone, which suggested not the enforcement of the law but a readiness to bend it.
Senate: Oversight or Escape Route?
At a Senate Customs Committee session, Senator Ade Fadahunsi admitted openly that Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023. Yet rather than demand an end to illegality, he extended a lifeline to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi:
> “If we come back to the same source… the two houses will sit together and see to your amendment so you will not be walking on a tight rope.”
But should Adeniyi be handed a loose rope while Nigeria’s economy hangs by a thread?
Instead of accountability, the Senate Customs Committee floated adjustments that would make life easier for Customs. The nation was given hints about fraudulent insurance and freight data, but instead of sanctions, what we saw was a search for escape routes. This is not oversight—it is overlook.
Smuggling and Excuses
The Senate Committee also lamented cross-border smuggling—Nigerian goods like cement flooding Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana at cheaper prices than in Nigeria. Senator Fadahunsi blamed the Central Bank’s 2% value deposit for encouraging the practice.
But where are the Senate’s enforcement actions—compliance checks, stiffer sanctions, cross-border coordination? None. The result is predictable: smugglers prosper, reserves bleed, and ordinary Nigerians pay more for less.
A Bloated Customs Budget
The Service’s 2024 capital allocation ballooned to ₦1.1 trillion from ₦706 billion. Instead of channeling these resources into modern trade systems, Customs is expanding empires of frivolity—such as proposing a new university despite already having training facilities in Gwagwalada and Ikeja that could easily be upgraded.
Oversight is not an afterthought; it is the legislature’s constitutional duty. To see waste and illegality and yet propose amendments that would legalise them is to turn oversight into overlook.
Customs has about 16,000 staff, yet many remain poorly trained. Rather than prioritise capacity building, the Service is busy building staff estates in odd locations. How does Modakeke—an inland town with no border post—end up with massive Customs housing projects, while strategic border towns like Badagry, Idiroko, and Saki remain neglected? Is Bashir Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs—or Minister of Housing?
The 4% FOB Levy: A Policy Blunder
The central controversy is the Federal Government’s plan to replace existing port charges with a new 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy on imports.
Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike the costs of cars, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—crippling industries and punishing consumers.
Already, the consequences are biting:
A 2006 Toyota Corolla now costs between ₦6–9 million.
Clearing agents who once paid ₦215,000 for license renewal must now cough out ₦4 million.
New freight forwarder licenses have jumped from ₦600,000 to ₦10 million.
Customs claims the revenue is needed for its modernisation programme, anchored on a software platform called B’Odogwu. But stakeholders describe this so-called “Odogwu” as epileptic—if not comatose. Why commit trillions to a ghost programme that will be obsolete by January 2026, when the Nigerian Revenue Service is set to take over Customs collections?
Industry Raises the Alarm
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the levy will worsen inflation, disrupt supply chains, and hurt productivity.
Lucky Amiwero, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, calls the levy “economically dangerous.” His reasoning is straightforward:
The 4% FOB levy is much higher than the 1% CISS it replaces.
Peer countries like Ghana maintain just 1%.
The new levy will fuel inflation, raise the landed costs of goods, and destabilise the naira.
He also revealed that the Customs Modernisation Act, which introduced the levy, was passed without Senate scrutiny or meaningful stakeholder consultation. He estimates that the levy could add ₦3–4 trillion annually to freight costs—burdens that will be transferred directly to consumers.
Who Is Behind the “Odogwu” Masquerade?
The haste to enforce this levy, despite its looming redundancy, raises disturbing questions. Who benefits from the “Odogwu” project draining trillions? Why the rush, when NRS will take over collections in a few months?
This masquerade must be unmasked.
The Price Nigerians Pay
For ordinary Nigerians, this policy translates into one thing: higher prices. Cars, manufactured goods, and spare parts are spiraling beyond reach. A nation struggling with inflation, unemployment, and a weak currency cannot afford such reckless experiments.
So, while the Senate looks away, the Executive cannot look aside.
The Executive Cannot Escape Blame.
It is easy to focus on the failings of the legislature. But we must not forget: the Customs Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the direct supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun.
If Customs is breaking the law, wasting resources, or implementing anti-people policies, the buck stops at the Executive’s table. The Minister of Finance is Chairman of the Customs Board. To fold his hands while the Service operates in illegality is to abdicate responsibility.
History gives us a model. In 1999, the Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, was specifically assigned to supervise Customs and report directly to the President. Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala focused on broader fiscal and economic policies. That division of responsibility improved accountability. Today, the absence of such an arrangement is feeding impunity.
President Tinubu and his Finance Minister must act decisively. Oversight without executive will is a dead letter.
A Call to Accountability
The truth is stark:
Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023 to the Senate’s own confession.
The 4% FOB levy will deepen inflation and worsen economic hardship.
The Ministry of Finance bears ultimate responsibility for Customs’ conduct.
Until importing and consuming, Nigerians demand accountability—of the Comptroller-General, the Senate, and above all, the Finance Ministry—this bleeding will continue.
Nigerians deserve better. They deserve a Customs Service that serves the nation, not a privileged few. They deserve a House that enforces its resolutions, not one that grandstands. They deserve a Senate that upholds the law, not one that bends it. And above all, they deserve an Executive that does not look aside while illegality thrives under its ministry.
Only public pressure can end this indulgence. If Nigerians keep silent, we will keep paying the price—in higher costs, weaker currency, and a sabotaged economy.
Citizens’ Charge: Silence is Not an Option
Fellow Nigerians, the Customs crisis is not a drama for the pages of newspapers—it is a burden on our pockets, our businesses, and our children’s future. Every illegal levy is a tax on the poor. Every abandoned oversight is an open invitation to corruption. Every silence from the Executive is an approval of impunity.
We cannot afford to fold our arms. Democracy gives us the power of voice, the duty of vigilance, and the right to demand accountability. Let us demand that:
The Senate and House of Representatives stop playing good cop, bad cop, and enforce the law without compromise.
The Ministry of Finance takes full responsibility for the Customs Service, supervising it in the interest of Nigerians, not vested interests.
The President intervenes now, before the Service crosses the dangerous line of turning illegality into policy.
History will not forgive a people who suffered in silence when their economy was bled by recklessness. Silence is complicity. The time to speak, to write, to petition, to protest, and to demand is now.
Customs must serve Nigeria—not sabotage it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:[email protected]
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Aare Adetola Emmanuel King Congratulates Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on Election Victory
The Chairman/CEO of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, has congratulated Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on her resounding victory in the just-concluded by-election for the Remo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
In a goodwill message issued by him, he described the victory as “a historic moment for the Remo people, coming at a time when the constituency yearns for a leader with vision, courage, and genuine commitment to service.”
He noted that the outcome of the election was an attestation to the trust and confidence reposed in Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji by the people, adding that her sterling qualities, integrity, accessibility, and compassion for the grassroots had endeared her to the electorate.
“The overwhelming support you garnered at the polls is proof that you are the right voice at the right time to carry the aspirations of Remo to the national stage,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the by-election followed the painful demise of the late Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (Ijaya), Aare Adetola Emmanuel King said Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji’s emergence symbolizes the continuity of purposeful representation. He expressed confidence that she would not only sustain the legacy of her predecessor but also surpass it with new energy, innovative ideas, and progressive leadership.
The Adron Group Chairman further prayed for divine wisdom, strength, and compassion for the Member-Elect as she assumes office, expressing confidence that her tenure will usher in meaningful development, economic empowerment, and greater opportunities for the people of Remo Federal Constituency.
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