society
Leadership Without Accountability Is Nigeria’s Greatest Scam
Leadership Without Accountability Is Nigeria’s Greatest Scam.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Nigeria must reject failed politicians and demand true accountability.
Nigeria’s politics is haunted by a PECULIAR HYPOCRISY: men and women who abandon the problems in their own backyards (moral failings, patronage, broken promises, dodged responsibilities) suddenly reappear on the national stage with grand plans to “SAVE THE NATION.” The truth is blunt and unforgiving: leadership does not teleport. It is forged in character, measured in responsibility and tested in the small, daily arenas of family, community and local institutions. If you cannot solve the crises closest to you, you have no business asking for the keys to a complex, fractious, 200-MILLION-PEOPLE state.
This is not SENTIMENTALISM. It is POLITICAL REALISM. Nations do not transform because someone declares themselves a savior; they change when leaders demonstrate competence, integrity and a habit of accountability; virtues first practiced at home. Scholars have long warned that social trust and civic virtue are preconditions for prosperity and stable government. As Francis Fukuyama reminds us, societies that cultivate trust avoid the heavy “TRANSACTION COSTS” of coercive enforcement; trust is not mystical; it is a measurable advantage.
Look at Nigeria today: we are economically vital (Africa’s largest economy in many respects) yet our public life is rent by weak institutions, corruption and chronic impunity. Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Nigeria 140 out of 180 countries, a stark metric that should alarm every voter who still believes slogans are substitutes for governance.
To be clear: we are not arguing that no one from a difficult background can rise to national leadership; rather, we insist on consistency. If you were a local council boss who could not balance budgets or discipline cronies; if you ran away from accountability in your constituency; if you always pointed fingers but never fixed the leaking roof at the community clinic, why should we trust you with a federal budget, a foreign policy portfolio or the security of millions?
Those who recycle themselves into power without institutional reforms are asking us to gamble our future on a personality rather than a plan. That gamble has consequences. For every headline about GDP growth or loan approvals, there are countless stories of public resources diverted, services unprovided and citizens betrayed. Consider that, even amid reports of macroeconomic recovery, corruption remains acute enough that law enforcement agencies still devote huge resources to recover stolen assets and sometimes win notable recoveries, but only after years of loss. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reported recovering nearly $500 million in one year; a welcome figure, but also a reminder that immense sums had to be chased down.
International partners continue to bankroll crucial projects precisely because our institutions struggle to marshal domestic resources reliably. In 2024 the World Bank approved a $1.57 billion financing package for Nigeria to strengthen health, education and power; funds that underscore both opportunity and dependency: opportunity because development remains possible; dependency because we still need massive external support to plug gaps created by domestic governance failures.
And yes, even where macro stats look better, the lived reality for many Nigerians remains grim. The World Bank noted strong headline growth in late 2024, but that same report stressed high inflation and the incomplete transmission of reforms to ordinary citizens. Growth without equitable distribution is a hollow victory.
So what must we do in 2027? First: reject recycled politicians who treat office as a family heirloom and accountability as optional. Look for candidates with three non-negotiable traits:
Demonstrated local competence. Have they shown the ability to manage resources, oversee projects to completion and accept blame when things go wrong? Small-scale success (fixing a primary school, ensuring transparent procurement in a local council or holding party officials to account) is a meaningful predictor of larger performance.
A record of public accountability. Leaders fit for national office have histories of EXPLANATION not EVASION. They invite audits, answer tough questions at town halls and accept judicial processes rather than subverting them.
Moral consistency. This is not moralizing, it is practical: a leader who tolerates corruption at home will tolerate it at scale. As Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala once said, “No one can fight corruption for Nigerians except Nigerians. Everyone has to be committed from the top to the bottom to fight it.” Commitment must begin at home and radiate outward.
We must also hold institutions to higher standards. Free speech, an independent judiciary, a transparent electoral commission and robust civil society are not luxuries; they are the scaffolding that prevents power from calcifying into privilege. Professor Attahiru Jega, who supervised two of Nigeria’s most scrutinized elections, has long emphasized the indispensable role of electoral integrity in making leadership legitimate. When elections are credible, politicians who fail locally have fewer ways to cloak their incompetence in national rhetoric.
Let us not ignore culture. Comedians, satirists and public intellectuals have an outsized role in puncturing the pretensions of recycled politicians. When Gordons lampoons politicians for their double standards or I Go Dye calls leaders “bad actors” their ridicule is not mere entertainment; it is popular truth-telling that keeps elites honest. Those truth bombs have the moral power to move conversations and mobilize voters.
Finally, citizens must translate outrage into disciplined choices. Voting is not a moment of theatrical loyalty; it is a transaction in which we exchange our future for competence and integrity. Use primaries, run local watchdog groups, support investigative journalism, demand transparent manifestos with measurable targets and (crucially) refuse to normalize failure. A candidate who cannot explain how they fixed a broken streetlight in their neighborhood should not be allowed to explain how they will fix national electricity.
This is not petty gatekeeping. It is survival. Nigeria’s potential remains immense, youthful workforce, diverse resources and entrepreneurial energy. But potential without structure is raw material; structure requires leadership that starts small and scales honestly.
So to every politician who insists Nigeria needs them while they have left their own political home in ruins: repair your house first. Attend the town halls. Answer the audits. Fight corruption in your backyard. If you cannot do that, stop asking for a larger stage. Nigeria deserves leaders who pride themselves on the mundane courage of responsibility, the courage to do the unglamorous work of fixing what is nearest.
2027 offers us a choice: RE-ELECT the THEATRICAL or choose the ACCOUNTABLE. We must be wise. We must be ruthless (against hypocrisy, not people) and demand that leadership begin where it always should: at HOME.
~ George Omagbemi Sylvester
society
Nigerian Prophet Begs Federal Government to Stop Killing of Christians, Backs Tinubu’s Second Term
Nigerian Prophet Begs Federal Government to Stop Killing of Christians, Backs Tinubu’s Second Term
Abuja – Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun, Founder of Celestrial Deliverance Church of Christ in Zhidu Village, Abuja, has made an emotional appeal to the Federal Government to stop the killing of Christians across Nigeria while also throwing his weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.
Speaking from his Abuja headquarters, the Prophet declared that leadership is a continuum and that Nigeria’s ongoing reforms require stability and time to bear fruit. He said, “Politics has nothing to do with religion. The ballot box is not the altar. Whether you are from the East, the North, the West, or the Yoruba community, we are one people under God.”
Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun used the opportunity to make a special appeal to the Federal Government, saying, “I beg the Federal Government, in the name of God and for the sake of humanity: Please help stop the killing of Christians across this nation. From the villages to the cities, too much innocent blood has been shed. Targeted attacks on Christian communities must stop. We plead for stronger protection, justice for victims, and lasting peace.” He acknowledged the pain of insecurity, especially the killing of Christians and farmers across the Middle Belt and Northern Nigeria, but also noted verifiable security gains under President Tinubu including over 3,000 hostages rescued from bandits and terrorists in the last 12 months, deployment of new attack helicopters and surveillance drones to flashpoints, and a reduction in oil theft from over 400,000 barrels per day to under 200,000 barrels per day.
He said, “The issue is security, and security is everybody’s business. We cannot build a nation if our people are not safe. But we must also acknowledge progress.” He added that a second term would allow the administration to consolidate its security architecture rather than restarting with new leadership.
On economic reforms, Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun argued that President Tinubu’s first term has witnessed the most audacious economic reforms in Nigeria’s recent history, including fuel subsidy removal saving the nation over ₦400 billion monthly, a unified exchange rate attracting over $2 billion in foreign portfolio inflows, the Student Loans Act benefiting over 100,000 students, and local government autonomy. He argued that no major economy in the world has successfully reversed course after landmark reforms within a single term, adding that abandoning the reform agenda now would plunge Nigeria back into uncertainty.
Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun stressed that President Tinubu’s emergence broke a dangerous cycle, noting that Tinubu is the first Southern Muslim to lead Nigeria since 1993, balancing power after eight years of a Northern President. He pointed out that under Tinubu, the South holds the presidency of the Senate but the Speaker of the House is from the North-West. He urged, “Let the East join hands with the West. Let the North embrace the South. Let the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and all 250 plus tribes say: ‘Nigeria first.’”
Drawing comparisons to global examples such as India’s Narendra Modi, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, the Prophet argued that second terms deliver long-term prosperity. He said, “Nigeria is not an exception. If we change leadership every four years, we will remain a building site forever.”
Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun closed with a prayer and a charge: “Nigeria will only rise when we rise above division. I am not speaking as Ogu, Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa. I speak as a Nigerian, and as a minister of the gospel of peace. God bless President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He urged all Nigerians to pray for the nation, support security agencies, and give President Tinubu the opportunity to complete what he has started. The press release was issued on 20th April 2026 from his church in Zhidu Village behind Piwoyi Village off Lugbe Airport Road, FCT Abuja.
society
₦100 Million Bribe Offer Rejected As Police STS Operatives Expose Criminal Syndicate
₦100 Million Bribe Offer Rejected As Police STS Operatives Expose Criminal Syndicate
The Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major breakthrough in its sustained crackdown on the vandalisation of critical national infrastructure, with the arrest of two notorious suspects and the recovery of railway materials valued at over ₦400,000,000.
Acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, to decisively tackle acts of economic sabotage, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), under the leadership of ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, executed a swift, intelligence-driven operation that led to the arrest of Chisom Goodnews (32) and Ahmed Adamu (22) on April 9, 2026, in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
The suspects were intercepted while transporting vandalised railway infrastructure in a calculated attempt to evade detection. Recovered from them was a trailer truck with registration number KRB 355 SX, conveying railway tracks and sleepers weighing approximately 60 tonnes, cleverly concealed under sacks of groundnut shells. Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are part of a well-coordinated syndicate responsible for the illegal removal and transportation of railway materials from Bauchi State to Ilorin, Kwara State, representing a significant threat to Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure.
Speaking on the operation, ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey revealed that in a desperate bid to compromise the officers and frustrate the arrest, the suspects offered a staggering sum of ₦100 million as a bribe to allow them passage with the illicit cargo. The offer was, however, outrightly rejected by the operatives, who remained resolute in the discharge of their duties. This firm stance underscores the Nigeria Police Force’s renewed commitment to professionalism, integrity, and its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
Further investigations are ongoing to apprehend the intended receiver of the stolen materials in Ilorin, as well as other members of the syndicate, while efforts are being intensified to recover additional exhibits linked to the criminal network.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has reiterated the Force’s unwavering resolve to bring all perpetrators of economic sabotage to justice, warning that acts of vandalisation of public assets will not be tolerated. He assured that all individuals found culpable will be made to face the full weight of the law.
society
Nigeria Police Initiative Targets Youth Vices As POCACOV Undertakes Strategic Visit To Cross River
Nigeria Police Initiative Targets Youth Vices As POCACOV Undertakes Strategic Visit To Cross River
As part of a two-day strategic working visit to Cross River State, the National Coordinator of POCACOV (Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices), SP Orvenonne Ikwen, Ph.D., embarked on a series of high-level engagements aimed at strengthening partnerships, deepening community participation, and advancing the non-kinetic approach to crime prevention across the state, in line with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, whose policing philosophy is rooted in community partnership, public trust, proactive engagement, and preventive policing aimed at building safer communities across Nigeria.
The visit commenced with a courtesy call on the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, CP Rashid B. Afegbua, psc, mnips, who warmly received the National Coordinator and commended the POCACOV initiative for its significant impact in tackling cultism, bullying, drug abuse, gangsterism, school violence, and other social vices affecting young people and vulnerable groups. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to supporting proactive policing strategies that promote trust, restore public confidence, and ensure lasting peace and security across Cross River State.
In continuation of the visit, the National Coordinator paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Commissioner for Youth Development, Barr. Ijom Ukam, who described the POCACOV visit as timely and highly strategic, especially during what he referred to as a volatile and transitional period in society. He emphasized that the engagement reinforces the collective responsibility of government, institutions, and citizens in addressing the growing concerns of social vices among young people.
According to him, “The primary responsibility of every government is the security of its citizens,” noting that the adoption of the non-kinetic approach by the Nigeria Police Force through POCACOV demonstrates that the Police truly care about the future of Nigerian youths. He commended the Nigeria Police Force for embracing preventive policing and pledged the Ministry’s full support for POCACOV activities in Cross River State.
Barr. Ijom Ukam further declared that POCACOV has come to stay in Cross River State and assured the National Coordinator of sustained collaboration in mobilizing young people, creating awareness, and implementing youth-focused interventions that will help eradicate crime and social vices from the state.
As part of the media advocacy component of the visit, SP Orvenonne Ikwen also visited prominent radio stations including HIT FM and Sparkling FM, where she engaged media stakeholders on the need for continuous public sensitization, youth mentorship, and strategic communication in crime prevention. She stressed the critical role of the media in shaping positive narratives, promoting civic responsibility, and supporting national efforts to discourage cultism and other harmful behaviors among youths.
The National Coordinator also met with content creators and digital influencers in the state, including popular creative personality MC Koboko, to strengthen collaboration in using social media and entertainment platforms as tools for advocacy and youth engagement. She emphasized that content creators remain powerful voices in shaping public perception and influencing positive behavioral change among young people. She called for stronger partnerships with creative stakeholders to amplify the message of POCACOV and promote peace, responsibility, and social values across communities.
She noted that POCACOV remains a major strategic initiative of the Nigeria Police Force designed to complement law enforcement with prevention-focused solutions, reflecting the IGP’s vision of policing that is rooted in public trust, inclusiveness, and strong community partnership.
The working visit further strengthened collaboration between POCACOV, the Cross River State Police Command, the Ministry of Youth Development, educational institutions, religious leaders, traditional institutions, parents, and the media, all united in the shared goal of building safer communities and securing a better future for the younger generation.
The visit stands as another strong testament to the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to preventive policing, youth empowerment, and sustainable peacebuilding through stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships.
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