Politics
A Political Merchant Called Fani-Kayode By Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu
Political merchandising is not new, but it has been elevated to an art by a few of which Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode is primus inter pares. As the merchant that he is, he sells his wares to where he thinks there is much profit to make dishonestly. The classic Merchant of Venice!
It must be conceded that he is a clever merchant of the Pharisee hue. It is not surprising that he wears the cassock of a moralist, only that he is pseudo in character and conviction. He quotes the Good Book, the Bible, like the scion of the devil that he is.
Having perfected the art of political sorcery, he enchants and conjures chimeras such that if one is not grounded in sound reasoning and in things holy and edifying, one can easily be enticed by his political portions and mirages.
The Femi Fani-Kayode personae is better understood in the postulation of Steve Maraboli that “people tend to be generous when sharing their nonsense, fear, and ignorance.” For a long time, Mr. Fani-Kayode has been allowed to run amock sharing his twisted logic and spewing his ignorance and secret fear of failure with false braggadocio all over the place.
It is surprising that the Nigerian political establishment has allowed a man that has failed in every material particular to clown about with them. Well, in every court, there are palace jesters and entertainers. If not, how can a man that is given to the serial abuse of women, facing multiple corruption charges from outright stealing of government funds to forging medical report (see: https://www.channelstv.com/2022/02/26/how-fani-kayode-paid-me-n820000-for-forged-medical-report-witness/) thrive if not for ghoulish entertainment?
Little wonder that former President Olusegun Obasanjo made the telling point that, “Femi Fani Kayode is my boy. Provide him food, he will eat and then sing for you.”
Recently, in anticipation of food, he sang plaintively against the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, a man his better by any stretch of the imagination.
In his shameless turncoat nature and wanting to be seen as a defender of President Bola Tinubu, when the president doesn’t need such a character, he alleged that the Abia governor has failed to recognize Asiwaju Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief.
This further lends credence to the generally accepted notion that he is indeed a scion of the greatest liar of the ages – the Devil!
If it were to the contrary, the foul-mouthed, mischievous, and beggarly corruption-tainted Mr. Fani-Kayode should have known that Dr. Otti has come a long way with President Tinubu.
That as a former chief executive of the defunct Diamond Bank, Dr. Otti had and has continued to enjoy good personal relations with the president. The mischief of making capital of administrative housekeeping of the new administration in Abia state speaks to the divisive and Luciferian mould of Mr. Fani-Kayode.
A poor soul without any political capital other than the noisy vuvuzela that he is, it will be an interesting prospect for Mr. Fani-Kayode to run for elections or show which polling booth he has won all his miserable and disjointed life. If he is so persuaded of his relevance other than hanging on to a fast fading pedigree, he should show which enterprise he has run and that is thriving to make him believe he should have a say amongst men of industry and positive ability.
A peep into his jaded history will show a conflicted, Janus-like individual with no moral fibre. Rather, a hollow, shallow, and whining baby in an adult body.
It is pertinent to show the duplicitous nature of Mr. Fani-Kayode.
On July 17, 2017, in his usual magisterial outburst, Mr. Fani-Kayode had this to say of the now ruling All Progressives Congress (see: https://dailypost.ng/2017/07/17/femi-fani-kayode-apc-cult-death/): “The truth is that it is the APC that are the stinking corpses and the rotting cadavers and not the PDP. They smell like rotting Chinese fish and a Calcutta brothel all rolled into one.
“They stink to high heavens and they have fouled up the Nigerian space with their compelling and overwhelming stench and their fecal aroma.”
Before then, on July 2, 2014, he said this of immediate past Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the APC, (see: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/164295-let-us-meet-in-court-fani-kayode-challenges-apc.html?tztc=1): “I repeat you are a pernicious liar and a shameless coward and your party is filled with such people. The truth is that you are not fit to hold power. Permit me to reiterate that I am not shying away from anything that I said in my interview with Channels TV on June 30th and if you think that I am doing so you are sadly mistaken.”
These are but few of the many hate-filled, dangerous rhetoric and mudslinging that Mr. Fani-Kayode has engaged in, all his life. But as an “Any Where Belly Face” character, it is not surprising that he makes volte face at any time his daily feeding bottle is threatened. At present, he is agitated that nothing has come his way by appointment and he needs to show he can yelp and prattle about issues he is ill-equipped to interrogate. What a pity!
Mercifully, the president has appointed majority of his personal appointees and because the jejune, pigsty and loquacious Fani-Kayode did not make the cut, and likely far from the ministerial list, he needs to bellow from the anguish of rejection to be noticed. Eyaaah!
In the event of any further foolhardiness against Governor Otti, Mr. Fani-Kayode should be reminded that when the president meets with governors, he (Fani-Kayode) will not be near the gate of Aso Rock, while the man that is leading the Abia renaissance, a man of global reckoning will not only be there, but standing with the imprimatur of hundreds of thousands of Abians and which is already a testament. But it is a feat that will forever be beyond Mr. Houseboy Fani-Kayode’s reach as a slave of mammon that he is. Such a groveling, shit filled-maggot!
*Hon. Kalu is the member representing Arochukwu State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly.*
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.
ADC Condemns Intimidation Campaign Against Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogun State Chapter, strongly condemns the ongoing intimidation and smear campaign targeted at our party leader and Interim National Secretary, *Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola*, by opposition forces in the South West region.
It is unacceptable and undemocratic that as he exercises his constitutional and political right to campaign across the region, elements of the opposition resort to harassment and attacks instead of engaging in issue based politics. Such actions are a direct assault on democracy, free expression, and the spirit of fair political competition.
The ADC calls on security agencies and all relevant authorities to guarantee the safety and freedom of movement for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and all our party leaders nationwide. Democracy thrives on inclusivity, tolerance, and fairness not intimidation.
We urge our members and supporters to remain steadfast and law-abiding, as the ADC will continue to pursue its vision of a just, democratic, and prosperous Nigeria.
*Signed:*
Honourable Muhammed MJG GKAF
*Publicity Secretary, ADC National Media Frontiers, Ogun State*
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