society
NDUME’S TRUTH, ASO ROCK’S SILENCE
NDUME’S TRUTH, ASO ROCK’S SILENCE.
George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
“When Silence Becomes Complicity: Senator Ndume Exposes Corruption and Incompetence at the Heart of Aso Rock”
Two days ago, a veteran senator, Ali Ndume, tore off the veneer of polite politics on national television and laid bare what many Nigerians already know; yet fear to say. Speaking on Arise TV, Ndume accused the Bola Ahmed Tinubu‑led administration of corruption so brazen that even the hallowed walls of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa remain silent. By now, the silence from the presidency isn’t simply deafening, it has become a sign of tacit complicity.
Senator Ndume did not mince words. He asserted that the Tinubu regime is dominated by “KAKISTOCRATS” (meaning those least qualified to hold office) and “KLEPTOCRATS” (meaning thieves masquerading as leaders). These are not rhetorical barbs but issues of survival: “The people who are supposed to help him are the ones deceiving him or damaging his image,” he warned.
More damning still, Ndume says that even accessing the President is blocked by a crude question: “owo da?” (“Where is money?”) — in other words, “What payoff are you bringing?” He says this is the experience of everyone wanting a meeting with the presidency. Pending no refutation from Aso Rock, the claim stands.
The presidency’s silence is no accident. It is calculated. Because if the Presidency were to respond with rebuttal or justification, then the matter would enter the arena of accountability. Silence, by contrast, suggests one of two things: either the presidency lacks confidence in its own position, or it actually agrees (just without saying so). In either scenario, Nigerians lose.
The Reality of Governance Under Tinubu. Let us take stock. This is a regime in which:
A minister removed for corruption walks free; supporters call for her recall rather than prosecution.
A minister is observed driving a Rolls‑Royce, replies “and so?” when asked; yet claims to have never worked his entire life.
Land allocation receipts fly left, right, front and centre to children, cronies, family members. The minister defends them.
Million‑dollar houses in the United States tied to sitting ministers? Allegations exist. And on the Nigerian side, the presidency and the anti‑graft agencies like Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) act like ostriches: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Meanwhile, the citizenry struggles under groaning economic hardship, soaring inflation, a faltering currency, indefinite power outages, insecurity unchecked and the sense that state resources vanish into private pockets.
These are not fanciful stories. The facts, in many cases, are public. One study by Chatham House shows that Nigeria still ranks among the top 40 most corrupt countries globally and counts among the lowest performing in governance indices.
As one scholar put it: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” That failure becomes grotesque when state institutions meant to enforce transparency are rendered toothless by the very regime they are supposed to police. Prof. John Oyedepo of the University of Lagos notes: “Governance without accountability is not governance; it is legalized robbery.”
Why Ndume’s Accusations Matter. Why do these allegations from a senator of the ruling party matter? Because it signals that the rot is not external but internal. When a loyalist stands up, when a Senate leader turns whistle‑blower, the crisis is deeper than opposition bravado, it is a systemic collapse.
Ndume’s charge that the government is run by “KAKISTOCRATS and KLEPTOCRATS” is not mere hyperbole. He defined the two: kakistocrats are “people holding positions they are not supposed to be in”; kleptocrats are “those in politics for personal gain, not public service.”
And he explained the damage in sharp terms: “The President cannot go out to the streets like I do and know how the people feel. Even outside the Villa they drive him in tinted glass so he doesn’t even see what is going on.”
This is governance by isolation, cushioned by privilege, and cushioned further by silence. When insiders begin to speak, one might hope for correction. But the silence from Aso Rock has been total. It is not just negligence; it is abdication of moral leadership.
The Silent President, The Loud Reality. The contrast is stark: the presidency enjoys pomp, ceremony, tinted limousines, and global photo‑ops — yet at home, the people suffer. The gap between public image and private record has never been greater.
Government supporters rush to defend with excuses. The All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Network responded to Ndume’s previous comments by calling them “misleading”, “reckless”, and “unbecoming of a ranking legislator.” But defence does not equate to performance. And signals of crisis remain.
Anti‑graft agencies boast of recoveries; the EFCC claimed it recovered nearly half a billion dollars in one year, according to SaharaWeeklyNG.com. But even that pales when stripped against the scale of the problem. Recoveries are reactive; prevention would require structural reform; which remains absent. Dr. Akin Oyebode, a governance analyst, adds: “The issue is not just theft, it is normalization of theft in governance. That is the real danger.”
A Call to Recognition, Not Defeatism. Let us be clear: pointing out corruption, incompetence, and patronage is not defeatism; it is news, it is accountability, it is citizenship.
As Dr Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala remarked years ago: “People have lost faith. They don’t believe anyone can serve their country”. When those within the regime echo that sentiment, the rupture between the people and the powerful becomes undeniable.
We must demand of the presidency: respond. We must demand of the anti‑graft agencies: act. We must demand that governance be more than display, more than cameras, more than slogans of fiscal reform, it must translate into integrity, transparency, responsibility, service.
The silence of Aso Rock is a vacuum. Into that vacuum seep cronyism, entitlement and theft. It is not enough for the president to say, “Be patient.” Patience has limits when citizens watch national coffers bleed and personal fortunes blossom. Prof. Chukwuemeka Eze notes, “Corruption thrives in silence. Confronting it requires courage, even from those within the system.”
The Take Away and The Road Forward. Senator Ndume’s words ring with conviction because they reflect lived experience and structural breakdown. The pharmaceutical term for this: when help is expected from institutions, but the institutions themselves have become carriers of the disease.
The presidency’s failure (or refusal) to respond is neither trivial nor temporary. It reveals dysfunction at the core of state leadership. The crisis is not only that some individuals are corrupt; the crisis is that the system accommodates them, protects them, remains inert.
This moment will not be measured by the allegations alone. It will be measured by response; by whether the presidency and its proxies choose silence and shield, or accountability and reform. The people of Nigeria deserve an administration that listens, not one that ignores; one that sees, not one that is driven past in tinted glass. They deserve leaders of competence and character; not the least suitable or the most brazen thieves cloaked in power.
Senator Ndume spoke. The question now is: who will answer?
society
Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)
Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*
January 29, 2026 – A prestigious appointment has been announced in the reign of Emperor Solomon Wining 1st, recognizing Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang as the *Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*. The official certificate, designated STE.001-1 E, was presented to Rt Hon Inyang during a ceremonial investiture.
As Secretary General, Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang will *monitor and coordinate* the implementation of government policies and programmes, serve as an advisory institution to the Government, drive policy formulation, harmonization, and implementation, and oversee the activities of ministries, agencies, and departments.
The appointment was proclaimed by *Emperor Prof. Dr. Solomon Wining*, Emperor of the United Kingdom of Atlantics and Empire Worldwide, and co-signed by *Empress Prof. Dr. Sriwan Kingjun*, Empress of Attica Empire, under the auspices of the 5 Billions Humanitarian Projects Incorporated.
The ceremony underscores the commitment to strengthening governance and humanitarian initiatives within the UKA (Worldwide) jurisdiction, effective immediately in the reign of Emperor Solomon Wining 1st.
society
GENERAL BULAMA BIU MOURNS BOKO HARAM VICTIMS, CALLS FOR UNITY AND RENEWED EFFORTS FOR PEACE
GENERAL BULAMA BIU MOURNS BOKO HARAM VICTIMS, CALLS FOR UNITY AND RENEWED EFFORTS FOR PEACE
In a solemn message of condolence and resolve, Major General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu mni (Rtd), the Sarkin Yakin of Biu Emirate, has expressed profound grief over a recent deadly attack by Boko Haram insurgents on citizens at a work site. The attack, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives, has been condemned as a senseless and barbaric act of inhumanity.
The revered traditional and military leader extended his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families, the entire people of Biu Emirate, Borno State, and all patriotic Nigerians affected by the tragedy. He described the victims as “innocent, peaceful, hardworking and committed citizens,” whose lives were tragically cut short.
General Biu lamented that the assault represents “one too many” such ruthless attacks, occurring at a time when communities are already engaged in immense personal and collective sacrifices to support government efforts in rebuilding devastated infrastructure and restoring hope.
In his statement, he offered prayers for the departed, saying, “May Almighty Allah forgive their souls and grant them Aljannan Firdaus.” He further urged the living to be encouraged by and uphold the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the victims.
Emphasizing the need for collective action, the retired Major General called on all citizens to redouble their efforts in building a virile community that future generations can be proud of. He specifically commended the “silent efforts” of some patriotic leaders working behind the scenes to end the security menace and encouraged all well-meaning Nigerians to join the cause for a better society.
“Together we can surmount the troubles,” he asserted, concluding with a prayer for divine intervention: “May Allah guide and protect us, free us from this terrible situation and restore an enduring peace, security, unity and prosperity. Amin.”
The statement serves as both a poignant tribute to the fallen and a clarion call for national solidarity in the face of persistent security challenges.
society
When a Nation Outgrows Its Care
When a Nation Outgrows Its Care.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
“Population Pressure, Poverty and the Politics of Responsibility.”
Nigeria is not merely growing. It is swelling and faster than its institutions, faster than its conscience and far faster than its capacity to care for those it produces. In a world already straining under inequality, climate stress and fragile governance, Nigeria has become a living paradox: immense human potential multiplied without the social, economic or political scaffolding required to sustain it.
This is not a demographic miracle. It is a governance failure colliding with cultural denial.
Across the globe, societies facing economic hardship typically respond by slowing population growth through education, access to healthcare and deliberate family planning. Nigeria, by contrast, expands relentlessly, even as schools decay, hospitals collapse, power grids fail and public trust erodes. The contradiction is jarring: a country that struggles to FEED, EDUCATE and EMPLOY its people continues to produce more lives than it can dignify.
And when the inevitable consequences arrive (unemployment, crime, desperation, migration) the blame is conveniently outsourced to government alone, as though citizens bear no agency, no RESPONSIBILITY, no ROLE in shaping their collective destiny.
This evasion is at the heart of Nigeria’s crisis.
The political economist Amartya Sen has long said that development is not merely about economic growth but about expanding human capabilities. Nigeria does the opposite. It multiplies human beings while shrinking the space in which they can thrive. The result is a society where life is abundant but opportunity is scarce, where children are born into structural neglect rather than possibility.
Governments matter. Bad governments destroy nations. Though no government, however competent, can sustainably provide for a population expanding without restraint in an environment devoid of planning, infrastructure and accountability.
This is where the conversation becomes uncomfortable and therefore necessary.
For decades, Nigerian leaders have failed spectacularly. Public education has been HOLLOWED out. Healthcare has become a LUXURY. Electricity remains UNRELIABLE. Social safety nets are virtually NONEXISTENT. Public funds vanish into PRIVATE POCKETS with brazen regularity. These are not disputed facts; they are lived realities acknowledged by development agencies, scholars and ordinary citizens alike.
Yet amid this collapse, REPRODUCTION continues unchecked, often CELEBRATED rather than QUESTIONED. Large families persist not as a strategy of hope but as a cultural reflex, untouched by economic logic or future consequence. Children are brought into circumstances where hunger is normalized, schooling is uncertain and survival is a daily contest.
The philosopher Hannah Arendt warned that irresponsibility flourishes where accountability is diffused. In Nigeria, responsibility has become a political orphan. The state blames history, colonialism or global systems. Citizens blame the state. Meanwhile, children inherit the cost of this mutual abdication.
International development scholars consistently emphasize that education (especially of girls) correlates strongly with smaller, healthier families and better economic outcomes. Nigeria has ignored this lesson at scale. Where education is weak, fertility remains high. Where healthcare is absent, birth becomes both risk and ritual. Where women lack autonomy, choice disappears.
This is not destiny. It is policy failure reinforced by social silence.
Religious and cultural institutions, which wield enormous influence, have largely avoided confronting the economic implications of unchecked population growth. Instead, they often frame reproduction as a moral absolute divorced from material reality. The result is a dangerous romanticism that sanctifies birth while neglecting life after birth.
The Kenyan scholar Ali Mazrui once observed that Africa’s tragedy is not lack of resources but lack of responsibility in managing abundance. Nigeria exemplifies this truth painfully. Rich in land, talent and natural wealth, the country behaves as though human life is an infinite resource requiring no investment beyond conception.
This mindset is unsustainable.
Around the world, nations that escaped mass poverty did so by aligning population growth with state capacity. They invested in people before multiplying them. They built systems before expanding demand. They treated citizens not as numbers but as future contributors whose welfare was essential to national survival.
Nigeria has inverted this logic. It produces demand without supply, citizens without systems, lives without ladders.
To say this is not to absolve government. It is to indict both leadership and followership in equal measure. Governance is not a one-way transaction. A society that demands accountability must also practice responsibility. Family planning is not a foreign conspiracy. It is a survival strategy. Reproductive choice is not moral decay. It is economic realism.
The Nigerian sociologist Adebayo Olukoshi has argued that development fails where political elites and social norms reinforce each other’s worst tendencies. In Nigeria, elite corruption meets popular denial, and the outcome is demographic pressure without developmental intent.
This pressure manifests everywhere: overcrowded classrooms, collapsing cities, rising youth unemployment and a mass exodus of talent seeking dignity elsewhere. Migration is not a dream; it is an indictment. People leave not because they hate their country, but because their country has failed to imagine a future with them in it.
And still, the cycle continues.
At some point, honesty must replace sentiment. A nation cannot endlessly reproduce its way out of poverty. Children are not economic policy. Birth is not development. Hope without planning is cruelty.
True patriotism requires difficult conversations. It demands confronting cultural habits that no longer serve collective survival. It insists on shared responsibility between state and citizen. It recognizes that bringing life into the world carries obligations that extend far beyond celebration.
Nigeria does not lack people. It lacks care, coordination and courage. The courage to align birth with dignity, growth with governance and culture with reality.
Until that reckoning occurs, complaints will continue, governments will rotate and generations will be born into a system that apologizes for its failures while reproducing them.
A nation that refuses to plan its future cannot complain when the future overwhelms it.
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