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The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience: Why Citizens, Not Politicians, Are Nigeria’s Biggest Problem

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The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience: Why Citizens, Not Politicians, Are Nigeria’s Biggest Problem.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“We are not victims of bad leaders; we are architects of our own decay.” Until Nigerians change themselves, no leader will save this country.

Introduction: A Nation in Denial.
Nigeria bleeds daily, not only because of corruption in high places, but because the very soul of its citizens is corrupted. We curse politicians as thieves, yet glorify fraudsters on the streets. We denounce bad governance but demand “MOBILIZATION FEES” before carrying out even the smallest task. We complain about looters in Abuja, yet we sell our votes for ₦10,000 and a bag of rice.

The bitter truth is this: Nigeria is not destroyed by TINUBU, ATIKU, OBI, JONATHAN or SOWORE. Nigeria is destroyed by NIGERIANS themselves. Our leaders are not aliens from Mars; they are our BROTHERS, SISTERS, CLASSMATES, CHURCH MEMBERS and UNCLES/AUNTIES. They did not fall from the sky; they are the true reflection of us.

As Chinua Achebe, the father of African literature, once noted: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Though here is the wicked twist Achebe did not fully expand; leaders are produced by the people. Leadership is only the magnifying mirror of the moral collapse of its citizens.

The Nigerian Disease: Corruption Without Shame.
From the grassroots to the presidency, corruption is not just an event in Nigeria; it is a culture. We condemn politicians who loot billions, but we bribe policemen with ₦1,000 and call it “SETTLEMENT.” We decry inflated contracts, yet we inflate our CVs, fake receipts and cheat our own employers.

According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, Nigeria ranks 150 out of 180 countries, a shameful position for Africa’s largest economy. Yet, who fuels this corruption? The average Nigerian. Every election season, vote-buying becomes a festival. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) admitted in reports that 2023 elections witnessed widespread vote-trading, with citizens willingly exchanging their future for ₦10,000.

As Wole Soyinka once thundered: “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” In Nigeria, it is worse. The man dies not in silence, but in collaboration with tyranny.

 

The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience: Why Citizens, Not Politicians, Are Nigeria’s Biggest Problem.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

Religion and Tribalism: The Twin Chains of Slavery.
Nigerians are not ruled by politicians alone, they are ruled by PASTORS, IMAMS and TRIBAL LORDS. We pay tithes to BILLION-DOLLAR MEGA CHURCHES while praying for divine intervention to solve potholes on our streets. We sow “SEEDS” of faith for prosperity, yet trek home while our pastors fly private jets. According to a 2019 Pew Research survey, Nigerians are among the most religious people in the world; yet among the most CORRUPT.

Similarly, TRIBALISM remains Nigeria’s greatest disease. We pretend to preach unity, but our patriotism begins and ends with “MY TRIBE MUST EAT FIRST.” This is why elections are never about COMPETENCE but ETHNICITY. In 2023, political campaigns collapsed into tribal wars online, where Nigerians fought themselves more viciously than they challenged the system.

Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, warned: “Seek ye first the political kingdom, and all things shall be added unto you.” Though Nigerians seek first the tribal kingdom and everything else (justice, unity, progress) gets subtracted.

Poverty as a Tool of Enslavement.
Over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Yet, even in hunger, Nigerians laugh at the wrong jokes. They line up for bags of rice and ₦5,000 during elections, mortgaging four years of their lives for a week’s survival.

This is why CLOWNS in AGBADA and PUPPETS in CASSOCKS keep owning Nigerians like livestock. Poverty has hypnotized the people into obedience. As Karl Marx said, “Religion is the opium of the masses.” In Nigeria, poverty is the opium and religion only intensifies the addiction.

Nigerians Don’t Hate Bad Governance; they Envy It.
Let us stop deceiving ourselves: Nigerians do not hate looters, THEY ASPIRE TO BECOME THEM. Ask a struggling young man what he would do if given the chance to rule and he will tell you he would “SECURE HIS FAMILY FIRST” before serving the people. This mindset is the reason Yahoo-Yahoo (internet fraud) is celebrated as “SMARTNESS.”

EFCC reports that internet fraud cases have risen by over 200% in the last five years, with university students making up the largest percentage of culprits. These same youths will call politicians “THIEVES,” yet they run Ponzi schemes, fake forex platforms and scam their own neighbors.

As Mahatma Gandhi warned: “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.” Nigeria is drowning not because of lack, but because of greed; greed that lives in the heart of the people themselves.

The Generational Betrayal.
Our parents lived modest lives with dignity; many of them farmed, traded or worked civil service jobs and still raised large families with peace of mind. Today, Nigerians are poorer than their parents, yet more arrogant, more wasteful and more gullible.

Instead of building industries, young people chase fast wealth through fraud. Instead of demanding accountability, they worship celebrities who flaunt ill-gotten wealth. Instead of producing leaders of integrity, we produce CULTISTS in POLITICS and THIEVES in CASSOCKS.

What do we pass on to the next generation? Poverty, silence, tribalism and blind religiosity. This is why the Nigerian dream has become a nightmare.

The Way Forward: Mirror, Not Messiah.
Nigeria does not need another messiah. Not Tinubu, not Atiku, not Obi, not Sowore. Nigeria needs Nigerians to change themselves first.

Stop selling your vote.

Stop demanding bribes for ordinary services.

Stop glorifying Yahoo boys.

Stop defending corrupt politicians because they share your religion or tribe.

Start holding your leaders accountable in local communities, not just in Abuja.

Start practicing the integrity you demand from others.

As Nelson Mandela once declared: “We are the masters of our own fate. The power to change the world is in our hands.” Until Nigerians confront themselves in the mirror, NO ELECTION, NO PRAYER and NO REVOLUTION will save this country.

Final word: The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience. This is not just a critique; it is a funeral service. The corpse being buried is the Nigerian conscience.

We say politicians are thieves, but the truth is they are only reflections of us with better opportunities to steal. We say the country is broken, but in reality, Nigerians are broken. Until the people admit that the devil they are fighting is inside them (not Aso Rock) their children will inherit the same foolishness they inherited from their parents.

Nigeria’s greatest tragedy is not bad leadership. It is the citizens who love bad governance, envy it and secretly wish to practice it when given the chance.

Until Nigerians change themselves, Nigeria will remain a graveyard of wasted potential.

George O. Sylvester
Political Analyst & Commentator
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

 

The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience: Why Citizens, Not Politicians, Are Nigeria’s Biggest Problem.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

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Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity

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Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity

Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful on the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, urging Nigerians to embrace the virtues of sacrifice, discipline, and compassion that define the season.

In a statement made available to journalists, the company described Ramadan as a period of deep reflection, spiritual renewal, and strengthened devotion to faith and humanity.

According to the management, the holy month represents values that align with the organisation’s commitment to integrity, resilience, and community development.

“Ramadan is a time that teaches patience, generosity, and selflessness. As our Muslim customers and partners begin the fast, we pray that their sacrifices are accepted and that the season brings peace, joy, and renewed hope to their homes and the nation at large,” the statement read.

The firm reaffirmed its dedication to providing affordable and accessible housing solutions to Nigerians, noting that building homes goes beyond structures to creating environments where families can thrive.

Adron Homes further urged citizens to use the period to pray for national unity, economic stability, and sustainable growth.

It wished all Muslim faithful a spiritually fulfilling Ramadan.

Ramadan Mubarak.

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Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence By George Omagbemi Sylvester

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Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

“Fiscal Rigidity in a Time of Crisis: Lawmakers Say Fixed Budget Ceilings Are Crippling Nigeria’s Fight Against Insurgency, Banditry, and Organized Crime.”

Nigeria’s legislature has issued a stark warning: the envelope budgeting system; a fiscal model that caps spending for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) is inadequate to meet the country’s escalating security challenges. Lawmakers and budget analysts argue that rigid fiscal ceilings are undermining the nation’s ability to confront insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, oil theft and maritime insecurity.

The warning emerged during the 2026 budget defence session for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC‑Kebbi North), chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, decried the envelope system, noting that security agencies “have been subject to the vagaries of the envelope system rather than to genuine needs and requirements.” The committee highlighted non-release or partial release of capital funds from previous budgets, which has hindered procurement, intelligence and operational capacity.

Nigeria faces a multi‑front security crisis: persistent insurgency in the North‑East, banditry and kidnappings across the North‑West and North‑Central, separatist tensions in the South‑East, and piracy affecting Niger Delta oil production. Despite declarations of a national security emergency by President Bola Tinubu, lawmakers point to a “disconnect” between rhetoric and the actual fiscal support for agencies tasked with enforcement.

Experts warn that security operations demand flexibility and rapid resource allocation. Dr. Amina Bello, a public finance specialist, said: “A static budget in a dynamic threat environment is like sending firefighters with water jugs to a forest fire. You need flexibility, not fixed ceilings, to adapt to unforeseen developments.”

The Permanent Secretary of Special Services at ONSA, Mohammed Sanusi, detailed operational consequences: irregular overhead releases, unfulfilled capital appropriations, and constrained foreign service funds. These fiscal constraints have weakened intelligence and covert units, hampering surveillance, cyber‑security, counter‑terrorism and intelligence sharing.

Delayed capital releases have stalled critical projects, including infrastructure upgrades and surveillance systems. Professor Kolawole Adeyemi, a governance expert, emphasized that “budgeting for security must allow for rapid reallocation in response to threats that move faster than political cycles. Envelope budgeting lacks this essential flexibility.”

While the National Assembly advocates fiscal discipline, lawmakers stress that security funding requires strategic responsiveness. Speaker Abbas Ibrahim underscored that security deserves “prominent and sustained attention” in the 2026 budget, balancing oversight with operational needs.

In response, the Senate committee plans to pursue reforms, including collaboration with the executive to restructure funding, explore supplementary budgets and ensure predictable and sufficient resources for security agencies. Experts warn that without reform, criminal networks will exploit these gaps, eroding public trust.

As one policy analyst summarized: “A nation declares a security emergency; but if its budget does not follow with real resources and oversight, the emergency remains rhetorical.” Nigeria’s debate over envelope budgeting is more than an accounting dispute; it is a contest over the nation’s security priorities and its commitment to safeguarding citizens.

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Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday

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Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday

 

Today, the world and the body of Christ rise in celebration of a rare vessel of honour, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba, fondly known as Eritosin, as she marks her birthday.

Born a special child with a divine mark of grace, Rev. Mother Eritosin’s journey in God’s vineyard spans several decades of steadfast service, spiritual depth, and undeniable impact. Those who know her closely describe her as a prophetess with a heart of gold — a woman whose calling is not worn as a title, but lived daily through compassion, discipline, humility, and unwavering faith.

From her early days in ministry, she has touched lives across communities, offering spiritual guidance, prophetic insight, and motherly counsel. Many testify that through her prayers and teachings, they encountered God in a deeply personal and transformative way. Near and far, her influence continues to echo — not only within church walls, but in homes, families, and destinies reshaped through her mentorship.

A mother in every sense of the word, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba embodies nurture and correction in equal measure. As a grandmother, she remains energetic in purpose — accommodating the wayward, embracing the rejected, and holding firmly to the belief that no soul is beyond redemption. Her life’s mission has remained consistent: to lead many to Christ and guide them into the light of a new beginning.

Deeply rooted within the C&S Unification, she stands tall as a spiritual pillar in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church globally. Her dedication to holiness, unity, and prophetic service has earned her widespread respect as a spiritual matriarch whose voice carries both authority and humility.

As she celebrates another year today, tributes continue to pour in from spiritual sons and daughters, church leaders, and admirers who see in her a living reflection of grace in action.

Prayer for Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin)

May the Almighty God, who called you from birth and anointed you for His service, continually strengthen you with divine health and renewed vigour.

May your oil never run dry, and may your prophetic mantle grow heavier with greater glory.

May the lives you have nurtured rise to call you blessed.

May your latter years be greater than the former, filled with peace, honour, and the visible rewards of your labour in God’s vineyard.

May heaven continually back your prayers, and may your light shine brighter across nations.

Happy Birthday to a true Mother in Israel — Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin).

More years.

More anointing.

More impact.

If you want this adapted for a newspaper page, church bulletin, Facebook post, or birthday flyer, just tell me the format and tone.

Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrated as She Marks Her Birthday

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