Politics
Buhari: Nigeria’s clueless messiah By Tunde Odesola
Buhari: Nigeria’s clueless messiah By Tunde Odesola
I laughed upon remembering Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo alias 4:30, and a proverb came to mind: “If death are strike dead the slow-motion chameleon with reckless abandon, why shall it not quench the jumpy-jumpy frog with instant automatic alacrity? Tell me!”
Chief Zebrudaya, the patriarch of Nigeria’s funniest English sitcom, New Masquerade, didn’t vocalise the above-written proverb, that’s my inexpert creation.
If he verbalised the proverb, Zebby, as his beautiful wife, Ovularia, lovingly calls him, would crack up viewers with his bombast while the funniest clowns in the history of clowning, Giringory and Clarus, would burst out from the kitchen dragging an empty pot of soup between them and arguing over who owns Nigeria, cows or citizens.
In relation to Nigeria’s political context, the imagery of the chameleon in the first paragraph is a symbolism for the June 12 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola but which was truncated by the northern oligarchy in collusion with a few greedy collaborators from other parts of the country.
Conversely, the presidential ambition of a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, I typify with the ‘jumpy-jumpy’ frog, patiently being awaited by the same oligarchy that killed MKO’s dream, along with their collaborators.
I plead not to be misinterpreted. Asiwaju enjoys the rights in the Nigerian Constitution to aspire to any political post in the land. But something is morally amiss if Tinubu – without publicly apologising for the 2015 deadwood presidential ambition he sandpapered and sold to Nigerians – is preparing to succeed the Katsina general whose maladministration has run Nigeria aground.
I wonder what would be Tinubu’s catchphrase in the 2023 presidential election. Would it be, “BAT: Consolidation of Sai Baba’s inglorious years?” or “Vote Jagaban to correct APC’s disastrous years?” or “Asiwaju: Leave story, jeun soke.”
Seriously, wailing and laughter are strange bedfellows. But when they work hand-in-glove, the Yoruba would say, “Oro buruku tohun terin.” Sometimes, nature could be as naughty as the proverbial case of Ibiye, whose goat was blind in the left eye while Ibiye was blind in the right.
The current situation of Nigeria is tragic, no doubt. What’s staring Nigeria in the face is no laughing matter at all. But in our tragic haven, the mind must escape to laughter, occasionally, otherwise mortuaries and asylums will boom in doom.
Although it’s obvious that Nigeria should declare national emergency in critical aspects of the economy, the retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari administration is totally clueless in halting the drift into abyss.
The green-white-green ‘abiku’ has snatched the sacrificial pot at the crossroads, and smashed it on the bald head of the tall and bony herbalist. The old soldier called upon to help kill the roving hyena in the farmland has ended up in the belly of the beast.
Sadly, Nigeria’s plight is akin to the case of Senegalese-born French midfielder Jean-Pierre Adams who underwent surgery for a knee injury in 1982, but hasn’t come out of coma 39 years after due to negligence on the part of the surgeon that performed the surgery.
For the unfortunate Adams, his surgeon carved him the pathway to eternal dungeon just like Nigeria’s messiah, Buhari, has unblushingly broken the covenants of hope he made to the people in 2015 and 2019, making the country worse than he met it.
Shortly before he became president, Buhari, during his famous 2015 Chatham House speech in England, urged Nigeria to choose between voting for continuity of failure or to elect progressive change.
At Chatham House, Buhari thundered, “Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our people…What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency…”
Then he told a fat lie, “If I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria…No inch of Nigeria will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service…
“We will ALWAYS ACT ON TIME (emphasis mine) and not allow problems to IRRESPONSIBLE fester. I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front.”
Today, Buhari, who promised to ‘lead from the front’, is in obodo Oyinbo for a ‘routine’ medical check when his country’s medical doctors are on strike and his kingdom has been lost to insecurity.
If Buhari’s trip was truly routine, why didn’t he show sympathy to sick Nigerian masses who can’t afford to waste taxpayers’ money on frivolous medical trips abroad, by commenting on the strike and giving the people hope?
If the head injury suffered in a lone motorbike racing accident by Yusuf, his son, had occurred on the day of his departure to England, would Buhari have travelled without his son?
Twice, Nigerians were scammed big time by Buhari and his co-political adventurers. When thunderclaps bellowed six years ago, the masses hurriedly emptied their earthen pots in anticipation of fresh rainwater. Now, the thunderclaps have ceased without a raindrop.
More than half of the land was fooled. Gauntness was mistaken for lack of greed. Stony eyes were mistaken for penetrating focus on integrity. Now, everything has gone skyrocket with the wind.
How did we not know that this messiah had his children in schools abroad? How did we ever think he was part of us? How did we not know he would fail to publicly disclose his wealth? How did we not know that Goodluck Jonathan was only shoeless and clueless but Buhari is visionless and listless? How did we not know that messiah Buhari would turn the presidential fleet of planes into playthings for his daughter to hop on for photoshoots?
During the government of Saint Buhari, corruption abandoned its posh house at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and built a mansion inside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, shedding its milk teeth of Jonathan years for the fangs, premolars and molars of the Buhari years.
My country people, I repeat, wailing and laughter are strange bedfellows. When they work hand-in-glove, the Yoruba would say, “Oro buruku tohun terin.”
Since our President has left us to our fate, we mustn’t wait in sadness for the merchants of death that kill daily. I mean, let’s amuse ourselves before the kidnappers storm, let’s share a laugh before herdsmen arrive to rape, maim, kill and get rewarded in return.
It’s only in Buhari country that the police would arrest the trader assaulted in Abuja by the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, who is a judge. It’s only in Buhari land that the coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, would leave out players scoring goals in top-class leagues and invite players without teams for matches.
Ethnically and religiously, Buhari has polarised the land, otherwise, the type of heavy fine meted out to the ‘misyarning’ pastor in obodo Oyinbo should have been meted out to all the leaders misleading Nigerians into believing that COVID is unreal, sending many to their graves.
It’s only in Buhari’s Nigeria that corruption presses charges against integrity. Insanity, please, give us a break.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola
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]
Facebook:Bolaji Akinyemi.
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Instagram:bolajioakinyem
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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