……Scholars Clash Over Ancient Kingdoms’ Records as Traditional and Modern Politics Collide

                                                         by

Engr. Prince Afolabi Aderemi Paul of Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye Royal Family

Being a descendant of warrior kings like Alaafin Oranmiyan, Alaafin Ajaka, Alaafin Atiba, and a direct descendant of Alaafin Olujide Adelu (Agunloye bi Oyinbo), I am obliged to speak openly with clean hands. My name is Engr. Prince Afolabi Aderemi Paul from Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye Royal Family.

As a young prince, I grew up within the precincts of the Oyo royal courtyard, where abundant documents including copies of treaties, government gazettes, and diplomatic letters were readily available to me. Driven by curiosity, I documented the past, anticipating what the future held for the institution my forebears held in such high esteem. This, among other reasons, makes my voice relevant on the issue of paramountcy and supremacy among Yoruba monarchs, which has recently been a subject of intense historical and political discourse. While the Ooni of Ife enjoys contemporary prominence through social media hype, verifiable records from colonial archives, treaties, and authoritative historians overwhelmingly affirm the Alaafin of Oyo as the preeminent traditional ruler in Yorubaland.

In this investigative report, I present ten (10) irrefutable pieces of evidence supporting the Alaafin’s supremacy.

1). Lord Frederick Lugard’s Official Recognition or the Colonial Recognition of Sovereignty, known as the Political Memoranda (1917): Sir

Frederick Lugard, Nigeria’s first Governor-General, explicitly listed the Alaafin as “Head of Yoruba Kings” (Paragraph 26, Page 307). As the architect of British indirect rule who witnessed pre-colonial administration firsthand, Lugard’s documentation carries exceptional weight.

This classification came from Britain’s most experienced colonial administrator after years of ethnographic study. “Lugard’s meticulous records represent the gold standard of colonial ethnography. His designation of Alaafin as paramount wasn’t casual but based on exhaustive research,” notes Prof. Toyin Falola of the University of Texas at Austin. “Lugard’s records represent the most authoritative colonial account of traditional hierarchies. His recognition of Alaafin’s supremacy wasn’t accidental but based on empirical observations,” says Prof. Banji Akintoye, historian and author of A History of the Yoruba People.

Documentary Reference and Archives

Lugard, Frederick. (1917). Political Memoranda: Revision of Instructions to Political Officers on Subjects Chiefly Political and Administrative. (Paragraph 26, p. 307), National Archives, UK (CO 446/1-100).

– Digitized copies in “Lugard and the Amalgamation of Nigeria: A Documentary Record” (1968, Cass Library of African Studies).

– Falola, Toyin. (2001).”The History of Nigeria.” Greenwood Press. (Discusses colonial hierarchies in Yorubaland).

– Akintoye, S. Banji. (2010). “A History of the Yoruba People.” Amalion Publishing.

– Akintoye, S. Banji. (1971). “Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland, 1840-1893.” Longman. (Examines pre-colonial Yoruba political structures).

– Intelligence Reports on Yoruba Kingdoms” (1913-1934).

– “The Yoruba Country, 1893-1960: A Documentary History” (ed. J.A. Atanda, 1985).

– Atanda, J.A. (1973). “The New Oyo Empire: Indirect Rule and Change in Western Nigeria, 1894-1934.”* Longman.

2. Treaty Diplomacy with Alaafin as the Sole Signatory: The Alaafin’s unique role as sole signatory to British treaties demonstrates recognized sovereignty. Between 1881-1893, the Alaafin exclusively signed all British-Yoruba treaties:

– 1881 Treaty: Signed as “Alaafin Adeyemi I, King of Yoruba Land” with the Queen of England and Ireland

– 1888 Treaty: With Governor Gilbert Thomas Carter

– 1893 Treaty: Cementing British-Yoruba relations and finalizing two imperial relations.

The 1897 Colonial Intelligence Report a recently declassified documents from the British Foreign Office (FO 403/246) reveal: “The Alaafin remains the supreme political authority over all Yoruba kingdoms, with the Ooni serving primarily spiritual functions.” -Captain R.L. Bower, 1897.

Documentary Participation and Archival Evidence:

-Rev. Samuel Johnson’s History of the Yorubas (1921) – National Archives documents confirm these treaties bore only the Alaafin’s seal, with no Ooni

– The National Archives at Ibadan preserves original treaty documents bearing only the Alaafin’s seal.

3. Colonial Salary Structure (1938)

A confidential colonial memo (File No 33044, CSO 26) reveals: In 1938, colonial Nigeria implemented a salary structure for chiefs, particularly in the Southern Provinces. First-class chiefs like the Alaafin of Oyo received annual salaries of £4,200, while Second-class chiefs like the

Olubadan of Ibadan earned £2,400. This system aimed to integrate traditional rulers into the colonial administration.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the 1938 salary structure for chiefs in the Southern Provinces:

First-Class Chiefs:

Alaafin of Oyo: £4,200 (Highest among 1st class chiefs)

Alake of Abeokuta: £2,250

Awujale of Ijebu Ode: £1,700

Oba of Benin: £1,650

Ooni of Ife: £1,440 (Lowest among 1st class chiefs )

Second-Class Chiefs:

Olubadan of Ibadan: £2,400

Owa of Ilesha: £1,450

Oshimawe of Ondo: £350

Orangun of Ila: £200

“This salary disparity wasn’t arbitrary but reflected the British recognition of the Alaafin’s administrative superiority,” notes archival researcher Chief Tunde Ogunmola. Dr. Oluwatoyin Oduntan (Towson University): “Colonial salary records don’t lie. The Alaafin’s compensation package was comparable to that of notable Northern emirs while the Ooni’s was equivalent to district heads.”

Documentary Evidence

Confidential colonial memo (File No 33044, CSO 26)

4. The 1991 Akinrogun of Yorubaland Title Controversy:

In March 1991, Ooni Olubuse II attempted to install Chief Tom Ikimi (later Nigeria’s Foreign Minister) as “Akinrogun of Yorubaland” which sparked a constitutional crisis in Yoruba traditional governance. The intervention by Oyo State Military Governor Colonel Adisa AbdulKareem remains one of the clearest modern affirmations of Alaafin’s supremacy. Alaafin’s Protest Letter (March 4, 1991) Reference No:

OYSHM/AA/Vol.II/91, “By ancient custom and colonial recognition, the prerogative of conferring titles transcending regional boundaries rests solely with the Alaafin as prescribed in the 1937 Native Authority Ordinance and reaffirmed in the 1954 Western Region Chieftaincy

Declaration.” The Government White Paper replied Alaafin of Oyo (March 7, 1991) File No: OY/S/104/Vol.XI. “Having reviewed historical precedents and legal authorities, the Government affirms the principle of Nemo dat quod non habet (you cannot give what you do not have).

The Akinrogun title being of pan-Yoruba significance, its conferment falls exclusively within the Alaafin’s traditional jurisdiction as recognized

by:

1. a) The 1888 Treaty of Protection; b) 1937 Intelligence Reports on Yoruba Traditional Institutions, and c) 1954 Chieftaincy Review

Commission Findings”. The Legal Foundations is applied from English common law through Section 14(1) of the 1957 Chiefs Law Precedent

Cases. The Olojo of Ojo v. Ooni (1929) – Established hierarchy of title conferment and the Western Region Gazette No 28 of 1958 – Defined

“Yorubaland-wide” titles. Prof. Jide Osuntokun (Historian, Bells University): later said that, “The 1991 ruling wasn’t merely about one title. It reaffirmed the constitutional architecture of Yoruba traditional governance as documented in: 1. Margery Perham’s Native Administration in Nigeria (1937). 2. The Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, Vol. XII (1984) which details Oyo’s metropolitan authority.” Chief AfeBabalola (SAN) said, “This case became a reference point in traditional law.

The government’s decision aligned with:

– Justice Adewale Thompson’s 1978 ruling on chieftaincy jurisdictions

– The 1963 Commission of Inquiry into Yoruba Traditional Institutions”. The current Implications is that the precedent remains legally binding, confirmed by: 2014 Supreme Court Judgment (SC/104/2008) on chieftaincy jurisdictions and the Lagos State White Paper on Chieftaincy Matters (2019) which cites the 1991 case. Now, the Alaafin appoints whoever he so desire with Yoruba titles, Chief Dr Babsjide Agunbiade as

The Atobase of Yorubaland, Chief Abeeb Okunola as Akosin of Yorubaland, Chief Tomori Williams as Aare Onikoyi of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Ige Adam’s as Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Shina Pella as Ayedero of Yorubaland, Chief Wasiu Ayinde Omogbolahan as Mayegun of Yorubaland, among others.

Archival Access:

The complete case files are available for research at:

1. Oyo State Archives (Series OYSHM 1991/Vol.III)
2. National Council of Traditional Rulers Secretariat (File NCTR/YOR/1991/001). This episode stands as perhaps the most definitive modern confirmation of Alaafin’s unique position in Yoruba traditional governance, with its foundations in:
3. Pre-colonial imperial structures

2.Colonial-era documentation

3. Post-independence legal frameworks

5. Council of Obas Leadership (1960-1976) Historical records amd Documented Leadership Structure:

– 1960-1965: Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu II served as Chairman of the Western State Council of Obas, with Ooni Aderemi attending as a member (Western Region Gazette No. 42 of 1960)

– 1976: Military administration reinstated Alaafin as Chairman after Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo political restructuring (Oyo State Government White Paper on Chieftaincy Matters, 1976). Many scholars are of the opinion that the political interventions of Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo is the main architect of the ongoing supremacy row between the Alaafin and Ooni. Adejare Ibrahim’s “Supremacy of Alaafin (2025, p. 112-115) confirms. The Ooni participated without protest in meetings chaired by Alaafin during this period. Challenges to this hierarchy only emerged after political interventions by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1950s.

Key Sources:

– Official minutes of Council meetings (1960-1965) held at:- National Archives, Ibadan (Ref: NAI OYO PROF 1/5/125

– History of Yoruba Traditional Rulers by J.A. Atanda (1980), pp. 203-207

– Military Government circulars of 1976 (Ref: OYSHM/GOV/1/Vol.IX)6.

6. British Royal Recognition of Alaafin’s Supremacy:

Queen Elizabeth II in her 1953 birthday message to Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu I addressed him as “Alaafin of Oyo, King and Head of Yoruba Land” (British National Archives Ref: DO 35/3181). No equivalent title was ever used in royal correspondence with the Ooni during the colonial period (1914-1960). Colonial Office Records on Yoruba Traditional Institutions (CO 583/189-192) shows this formulation was consistently used in:

– Royal letters (1925-1959)

– Birthday/Coronation messages

– Official proclamations

These consistent pattern of royal address provides definitive evidence of how British authorities recognized and institutionalized the Alaafin’s superior status in Yoruba traditional hierarchy. Professor David Pratten (Oxford) notes in The Man-Leopard Murders (2007, p. 89): “The British Crown’s recognition of Alaafin as ‘Head of Yoruba Land’ reflected decades of colonial administrative practice and treaty relationships. Ooni was addressed simply as “Ooni of Ife” in all colonial-era documents according to 1937 Native Authority records (NAI Ibadan Prof 3/5/8) and 1954 Western Region Chieftaincy Review documents

Key Reference Works:

– British Imperialism in Nigeria by Michael Crowder (1978), pp. 134-137

– The Yoruba Under British Rule by J.F. Ade Ajayi (1965), Chapter 4

– Royal Archives, Windsor Castle (RA/PPTO/YOR/1-15) for original correspondence

.7. Military Dominance of the Oyo:

The Oyo Empire maintained a standing army under the Basorun, Leader of all Yoruba warlords and the Are-Ona-Kakanfo (Field Marshal), while Ife lacked permanent military forces (The Military System of the Old Oyo Empire by Robin Law, 1975, p.45). The 1903 Crisis Evidence: Official Gazette No.9 (1903) records: – Ooni Olubuse I formally requested British military assistance after Modakeke’s attack on Ife. Later, Alaafin Adeyemi I successfully negotiated the release of 12,070 Ife war captives from Ibadan. Colonial Office correspondence (CO 147/169) details: Ooni’s petition to Governor William MacGregor (March 1903) and Alaafin’s diplomatic intervention (April 1903). The Intelligence Report on the Yoruba Provinces (1904) confirms Oyo’s military hegemony. Professor Toyin Falola notes in Yoruba Warfare in the 19th Century (1984), “The 1903 crisis starkly revealed the military dependency of Ife on Oyo’s political and military structures, a pattern established a few centuries back. The Oyo’s military capacity included: Cavalry units (documented in Clapperton’s 1826 journals and a specialized infantry (Johnson’s History of the Yorubas, 1921, p.187) while Ife relied on temporary militia and external alliances. The 1921 Native Authority Ordinance: The National Archives (NAI, Ibadan Prof 3/3) preserves records showing only the Alaafin was granted “Grade A” status among Yoruba rulers, with authority over: Judicial appeals, inter-kingdom disputes and military mobilization. There were 182 Chiefs under the Are-Ona-Kakanfo’s command alone.

Key References:

– Gazetteer of Yoruba Territories (1905) Colonial Office publication

– Warfare and Diplomacy in Yorubaland by S.A. Akintoye (1971)

– National Archives Ibadan: Oyo Division Reports (1902-1905)

8. Summary of Oduduwa’s Succession Legacy

Historical and scholarly evidence highlights key aspects of Oduduwa’s succession and the political-religious divide in Yorubaland: Oduduwa passed political authority to his grandson Oranmiyan, who became the first Alaafin of Oyo, marking the continuation of Oduduwa’s political lineage. Ooni of Ife’s role, a priest-regent (Adimula Olorisa), not a direct blood descendant, explaining why the Alaafin does not prostrate to the Ooni because the Alaafin represents Oduduwa’s political lineage, while the Ooni holds ritual authority.

Archaeological Evidence of Prof.Akin Ogundiran’s research at Old Oyo confirms the Alaafin’s palace as the political and administrative hub of Yorubaland, contrasting with Ife’s primarily ritual and sacred spaces (Ogundiran, Northwestern University). Oduduwa’s transfer of authority is preserved in both Oyo and Benin oral traditions. The Odu Ifa Ogbe Yonu confirms Oranmiyan’s mandate. Benin’s Erediauwa Chronicles trace descent to Oranmiyan. Ife’s own Itan Ife acknowledges the priestly origin of early Oonis.

References:

– Abimbola, W. (n.d.). Ifa Scholar Commentary on Oduduwa’s Succession

– Ogundiran, A. (Recent). Archaeological Findings at Old Oyo Empire. Northwestern University.

9. The Benin Connection

Oba Ewuare II’s 2016 statement settled the controversy:

“All Obas of Benin descend from Oranmiyan (first Alaafin).” This refuted Ooni Sijuwade’s claim of paternity over Benin monarchy.

10. Summary of Provincial Administration in Yorubaland (1914 Amalgamation – 1960s)

Following the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria, British colonial authorities restructured Yorubaland’s governance, reinforcing the Alaafin of Oyoas the paramount ruler, while the Ooni of Ife and Olubadan of Ibadan were designated as District Heads under his authority in Oyo Province. The Alaafin presided over the Provincial Court of Appeal while the Ooni, Olubadan, and other chiefs handled district-level courts. The Alaafin served as final appellate authority. All district rulers (including Ooni) reported through provincial channels making the Alaafin adjudicate inter-kingdom disputes. The British leveraged the pre-existing Oyo Empire’s political framework centralizing power under the Alaafin for administrative efficiency.

References:

-Atanda, J. A. (1973). The New Oyo Empire: Indirect Rule and Change in Western Nigeria, 1894-1934 London: Longman.

– Johnson, S. (1921). The History of the Yorubas. Lagos: CMS Press.

-British Colonial Records (1914-1960) Nigeria: Reports on Provincial and Native Administration.

This system persisted until the 1950s-60s, when regional reorganizations and post-independence political changes diminished the Alaafin’s centralized authority, elevating the many Oba’s, the Ooni and Olubadan to more autonomous statuses. This became very prominent in the 1990’s after the creation of Osun State from Oyo State. Why The Controversy again? E gbe Ade fun Alade. It is known to many historians that Alaafin Oranmiyan went with his father’s crown (Oduduwa) to Oyo and founded a new kingdom which later became an irrefutable empire on the African continent with some of its greatest kings as Alaafin. Historians attribute the modern debate to Awolowo’s Politics or political engineering after the confrontation that happened on November 22nd 1953 between Chief Bode Thomas and Alaafin Adeyemi II who was allegedly said to be sympathizing with opposition NCNC, after he came in conflict with Chief Bode Thomas who was Deputy Leader of the Action Group. The mid-1950s saw the Ooni politically elevated after Alaafin Adeyemi II’s deposition and his subsequent death in 1960.

This elevation became more visible with Ooni Adesoji Aderemi’s prominent position in party politics when he later became the Governor of Western region. The Alaafin’s supremacy was reversed in the 1970’s subsequently. It could also be that contemporary press and social media platforms often prioritizes Ile-Ife’s spiritual significance over Oyo’s historical political dominance.

As the late Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III stated in his 2016 interview: “History cannot be rewritten to suit temporary conveniences. The records are clear for impartial minds.” He later said “We must distinguish between temporary political arrangements and enduring historical truths.”

SOURCES:

1. National Archives, Enugu
2. Political Memoranda by Lord Lugard (1917)
3. History of the Yorubas by Rev. Samuel Johnson
4. Oyo Legacies (Alaafin Adeyemi III’s Memoirs)
5. British Colonial Correspondence (1881-1938)

In Conclusion,

The historical, colonial, and legal records presented in this discourse leave no room for ambiguity: the Alaafin of Oyo remains the preeminenttraditional ruler in Yorubaland by virtue of documented treaties,  British imperial recognition, military precedence, and constitutional affirmations. While contemporary narratives may attempt to distort this reality for political or social expediency, facts are sacred, and history is immutable. The historical significance of the Benin and Oyo Empires, founded by Prince Oranmiyan which is Nigeria’s only true pre-colonial empires remains undeniable. Yet, their modern-day monarchs often face disproportionate scrutiny and resentment.

The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I had a splendid coronation on 5th April 2025 which short down the global mass media space, then issue of supremacy and propaganda of different sorts followed by enemies and antagonists. Anyway, this phenomenon is not coincidental but rooted in a recurring historical pattern: true greatness often attracts envy.

The Oba of Benin and the Alaafin of Oyo are not disliked for their present roles but because of what their ancestors starting with Prince Oranmiyan represented: empire builders, formidable rulers, and architects of enduring legacies. Unlike those who inherited power passively, our forebears expanded territories, commanded vast armies, established governance systems, and shaped civilizations in Africa.

Resentment toward these thrones stems from an uncomfortable truth: our historical dominance still overshadows revisionist narratives. True leadership inspires admiration but also provokes resistance from those whose histories pale in comparison. Oyo is great! Greatness is not hated for being irrelevant. It is resented because its echo still resonates louder than the whispers of those who wish to rewrite history.

Alaafinko se ri fin o.

Engr. Prince Afolabi Aderemi Paul

Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye Royal Family

Oyo Kingdom

If I had not traveled and lived outside Nigeria before, I would have thought that Nigeria should be greater than it is now. I would have believed that one day, a miracle would happen, transforming our country into the giant it promises to be. But alas, there is something fundamentally wrong with our way of life. It’s not even getting better; we are heading down a precarious path in the existence of humanity on the surface of the earth. Since yesterday, I have been pondering what is wrong with our way of life. I reflect on past Nigerian leaders, from Alhaji Shehu Shagari to General Buhari, to General Babangida, to General Sani Abacha, to General Obasanjo, to Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua, to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to General Buhari again, and now to the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The story remains the same, ranging from one lamentation to another.

We Nigerians are very quick to apportion blame without examining our own ways of life. Living and working with Nigerians who have newly relocated abroad often brings tales of sorrow. If you want to understand me better, employ a newly arrived Polish citizen and a Nigerian to work for you abroad. You will quickly notice that the Polish individual will perform far better than the Nigerian.

Returning to Nigeria to start a business is no different; it’s a sad experience. How can we justify this? A young medical doctor, the daughter of a retired Chief Justice, employed three domestic staff to work in her house. Within 10 days of their appointment, they killed her and stole her property. What type of life are we living? We’re complaining about hunger, and some people go to loot another person’s property. Is the property they looted government-owned? And people are happily streaming it on social media. Are we normal at all?

These protests are predictable; people know how they will end. They are sure of where they will eventually lead. The poor will become poorer, and the average citizen who has been struggling all his life with his business will be brought down. When I saw the Kano governor endorsing the recent protests, I pitied the type of leaders we have in Nigeria. He already knows that there is tension in his state concerning his decision over the choice of some traditional rulers. The deposed Emir’s camp and the incumbent Emir have been looking for a way to hold each other’s jugular.

Pronto, the inexperienced governor gives them the opportunity to vent their anger and frustration on himself and the good people of his state. I pray the curfew will bring the much-needed peace to his state.

Our way of life is troubling. We seem to have lost the core values that once held us together. Respect for life, property, and the rule of law has diminished. What has gone wrong? Is it the leadership, or is it we, the citizens? Our culture of expecting miracles and divine intervention has clouded our sense of responsibility and hard work. We blame our leaders for everything, yet we do not hold ourselves accountable for the roles we play in our collective downfall.

Our educational system, once the pride of Africa, is now in shambles. Graduates are churned out with little or no skills, unable to compete in the global market. Our healthcare system is in a deplorable state, with many seeking medical care abroad. Our infrastructure is decaying, and corruption is rampant at all levels.

In contrast, countries with fewer resources have made remarkable progress. Why can’t we? What are we doing wrong? It is high time we asked ourselves these hard questions and sought genuine answers.

We must begin by instilling discipline in our homes and schools. Parents must teach their children the values of honesty, hard work, and respect for others. Our educational system must be overhauled to emphasize skill acquisition and innovation. We must hold our leaders accountable and demand transparency and good governance.

Entrepreneurs must be encouraged and supported, not stifled by harsh economic policies and bureaucratic bottlenecks. We need to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. The government must invest in infrastructure and ensure that basic amenities are available to all citizens.

Furthermore, our justice system must be strengthened to ensure that criminals are brought to book, and the innocent are protected. The rule of law must prevail, and no one should be above the law.

In addition, we must change our mindset. We must stop waiting for miracles and take our destiny into our own hands. We must work hard, be innovative, and believe in ourselves. We must learn from other countries, adopt best practices, and adapt them to our context.

Moreover, we must embrace unity in diversity. Our ethnic and religious differences should not divide us. Instead, we should see them as strengths and work together for the common good. We must promote peace, tolerance, and mutual respect.

The media has a significant role to play in this transformation. It must educate the public, highlight positive stories, and hold those in power accountable. Social media, while a powerful tool for communication, must be used responsibly. We must shun fake news, hate speech, and incitement to violence.

Our religious leaders also have a crucial role. They must preach peace, love, and unity. They should encourage their followers to be law-abiding and contribute positively to society.

It is not too late for Nigeria. We have the resources, both human and material, to turn things around. But it requires a collective effort. We must all be willing to make sacrifices, to put the interest of the nation above personal gains.

As we reflect on our past, let us learn from our mistakes. Let us resolve to do better, to be better. Let us build a Nigeria that we can all be proud of. A Nigeria where the rule of law prevails, where every citizen has the opportunity to succeed, where we live in peace and harmony.

Our journey will not be easy, but it is a journey worth taking. For the sake of our children and generations to come, we must rise and take action, our way of life needs a complete overhaul. We must believe in Nigeria, in our ability to overcome our challenges and emerge stronger.

We must change our mindset, instill discipline, hold our leaders accountable, and work together for the common good. It is only then that we can realize the true potential of Nigeria and build a nation that we can all be proud of.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan.

Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession probably older than the rock of Gibraltar and sexual intercourse as a universal language is unarguably a therapy for many troubled souls. In many parts of the world, sex sells like a freshly baked bread!

It is an open secret that women who work in the sex trade over the years have earned popular sobriquets such as prostitute, call-girl, whore, harlot, ashewo, hooker, honey-lady, and ultimately the escort.

With the sky-rocketing cost of post-secondary education in several countries, many students are desperately looking for alternative ways to finance their quest for higher learning because poverty is only good in sermons but very unpleasant in practice and it is true that education may not take anybody outrightly out of poverty but it will definitely not keep one in abject poverty and the sex trade cannot be the last option for these young souls.

Necessity they say is the mother of invention and as the street slogan says, “You need to use what you have to get what you want in life.”

According to a research conducted by Kingston University in southwest London, it was discovered that one in 10 female students had close friends who had stripped, lapdanced or worked at massage parlours and escort agencies to support themselves throughout their university education.

Many students are not really concerned about the fact that prostitution, either part-time or full-time, is a dark enclave and doubles as a dignity-stripping environment which is extremely harmful and dangerous to women.

The coinage “escort” is likely one that involves exceptionally beautiful ladies, paid to accompany wealthy men to classic public events and expensive dinners; elegant women whose aura and splendour are worth several hundreds of pounds per hour to majorly affluent clients.

But in the real world, the escort industry, like all business ventures, is purely about money, and it is strategically driven by the same economic force which motivates the entire exotic industry which is raw sex.

Frankly speaking, health concerns related to intercourse, with or without the use of a condom, are prevalent among women in the sex trade and in underdeveloped and developing countries where fetishism is still highly prevalent, many of these young, innocent, and beautiful ladies become vulnerable to ritualists especially men who are seeking spiritual powers.

It is like dancing on sword’s edge and any slight error would trigger a devastating repercussion for the victim, friends and family members that is why I term it a dangerous adventure, one that can be compared with sitting on the keg of a gun powder that is ready to explode within seconds before our very eyes.

Most escort agencies are just exploiting the vulnerabilities of “struggling” students by paying them pittance when compared to the average wages earned by unregistered street prostitutes, they take advantage of the fact that these young girls do not have their heads and eyes open enough to see other better opportunities around them except that of an escort.

Debt management is another major factor pressuring many young University students in the United Kingdom to prostitution due to student loan repayment policies which can eventually affect their credit rating when trying to apply for mortgages or credit cards from banks or other financial institutions.

To curtail the temptation of joining the sex trade, Universities and Colleges can reduce their tuition fees, advocate for scholarships, grants, interest-free loans, and bursaries for students from low-income family backgrounds or even offer very low-interest-rate where it is impossible to offer interest-free loan.

These measures if strictly adhered to, would certainly discourage the financially disadvantaged students from becoming sex workers at the detriment of their health and university education. It will also help in maintaining the status and the reputation of our institutions of higher learning as a place where morals are being instilled in students as institutions of learning are not only meant to certify students based on their academic performance alone but also on their character.

In a nutshell, the reality remains that, in general, a student who is aggressively desperate enough to sell their body for “quickie” cash is likely to qualify for financial assistance from government student loan programmes or local credit unions as long as that student is working part-time with original payslips to show.

It is estimated that 70% of clients who visit escorts are married, so why do married men visit escorts? This aspect deserves critical analysis.

Many married men are in sex-starved relationships and a visit to a nearby brothel to meet an escort would take them to another “Sugar candy” planet while still on earth! It is still an open-ended debate.

This visit is indeed a lifesaver for some frustrated men to cure their depression and boost their libido, confidence, and self-worth in life.

According to research, married men flirt for six main reasons: to get sex, to explore what it would be like to be in a relationship, to strengthen a relationship, to try to experience new feelings, to increase self-esteem, and above all, to have fun.

Just as we have female escorts, so are there male escorts who work in different gay clubs just like their female counterparts, fighting against all odds to use their bodies to earn a living. It is like a rat race or a Catch-22 dilemma.

To be candid, an escort is just a glorified prostitute or probably two sides of an outdated coin.

Although feelings towards their clients must be mutual, temporary, and consensual in order not to cross the boundary or break the rules.

In conclusion, the legendary Irish writer, Oscar Wilde, opined, “I can resist everything, except temptation.” and that is why all men should resist the temptation of illicit sexual intercourse and be faithful to their partners.

***Dare Lasisi, former Commonwealth journalist writes from the UK University of the year, University of Strathclyde, Faculty of Science, Dept of Computer & Information Sciences, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

I sat there in this funk for nearly an hour and wondered how to snap out of it.  Should I just forget about today?  Should I just give up on this project in front of me, because I’m not as good at it as I thought I was?

That’s what I was considering, at least for a fleeting moment.  But the better part of me knew this mild state of depression would soon pass.  And just as I started to feel better, the thought of the discussion the passengers sitting behind me in a commercial bus while traveling few months ago trolled in my mind, it was all about the numerous challenges bedeviling our country.

I have listened to many of their litanies of the nation’s challenges which were centred on bad governances, transparency in governance, and a weakened economy system we’ve been piloting for ages out of boredom.

I was in this thought when a messages popped out on the screen of my phone to bring me back to life.

The opening lines of the text was scary and heartbroken at such a time like this when things seems unappealing to everyone, it was a season that’s not been fair to everyone of us.

“I feel so drained, so uninspired.  I’m stuck again!  My mind is spinning with worry and overwhelm and just a general lack of enthusiasm.”

The last time I spoke to her was months back when i promised to keep her posted on job opportunities as I was also a victim looking for where to try out my skills and develops other ones. She had asked me about anything I could share?

What she can reflect on and try to remember whenever she lost her motivation.

During this moment the thought of people going back to their business today after almost 2-months of working remotely struck my heart.

Many won’t be resuming their place of work due to their company downsizing during the lock down to meet up with their productivity and cover up for the loss of profit that have crept in due to their inefficiency of service been rendered.

Some already have their salary slashed to a lower percentage; if you’re among these set, be grateful you’re still in the system and will always have something to return to. Moreover there’s is high probability for you to get your salary back to 100% when things go smoothly again for the organization.

This is a time where people who lost their jobs become depressed, miserable, and despondent just because of their inability to show strength, courage and perseverance which would have helped to overcomes the adverse situation and becomes an encouragement and inspiration.

It’s no joke that a higher percentage of this people have nothing to leverage on after reliving them from their office, just because they have nothing to augment what they made from their business or salary.

This is a tropical example of Nigeria working class, who only rely just on salary to survive, once salary stops coming for some months, then they’re in trouble.

The coronavirus has introduced a mentally draining situation for all of us. But that means we can’t just stand on the sidelines and lick our own wounds. Look at the other people around you, and offer what you can to help. If there’s one good thing to come out of this, it will be our ability to care for each other.

It’s no gainsaying we’ve been extremely divided because of series of factors that align our differences in school of thoughts like politics, religion, ethnicity, and many others.

Let’s use this crisis as an opportunity to not beat up on the other side; let’s find some common ground and look out for one another. What makes us alike is much greater than what separates us. We’re all wary of the unknown; we all want things to get back to normal. Focusing on that is a much healthier approach for both you and the people around you.

Well, the appointment of this Nigerian woman to serve in a high position of trust in a kindred African country is not a total wonder to some of us who know a bit of her antecedence. As Nigeria’s Ambassador to Denmark in 2008, I was quite elated to have been invited to the Inauguration of the Danish Commission on Africa, a country that is the world’s 9th highest per capita income and top in global donor platform, only to find out that my countrywoman with her characteristic Ankara dress and headgear, was Co-Chairman of the body. As if that was not enough, l again met her at a function which I attended as Nigerian Ambassador to Norway in 2009, at which the country’s Minister of Finance made a presentation on its globally acclaimed Sovereign Wealth Fund. The fund was already over $400billion at the time and now it’s about $1 trillion. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was again a Special Guest at the event and, later, she introduced the same in Nigeria, after combating unimaginable negativism. Today, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is the lodestar of Nigeria’s investment and future savings efforts.
As Federal Permanent Secretary for Water Resources, I visited Washington several times between 2010 – 2011 and watched “Madam Ngozi”, then Managing Director of the World Bank, preside over meetings unending, looking for money to modernize water infrastructure in places such as Lagos, Portharcourt, Kaduna, Cairo, Mombasa, and other African megacities. In Washington, her schedule was crazy; covering from global macroeconomics to substantive development agenda issues, such as; attainment of the MDG goals, the precursor to the current 17 SDGs. There was obviously, virtually little time to spare for unproductive engagements, meetings or socializing. But on a few occasions, for example, when we visited with then Governors Chibuike Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi and others in 2012, she obliged us audience and helped in no little ways push through funding water supply in both urban and rural towns around Nigeria.

As many Nigerians know, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s first and second “missionary journeys” to Nigeria as Minister of Finance, and later additionally “Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy” (CME), were resounding successes. Given that there are no perfect economic policies anywhere in the world, even with the American Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve or the British Chancellery of Exchequer or Germany’s BMF, etc, what she did in Nigeria was phenomenal. Year-on-year GDP growth of about 5% average was gladly bolstered by bountiful earnings from oil sales, averaging about $60. Job creation efforts under YouWin which was done with the greatest knack for excellence and transparency, and the pursuit of fiscal regime, which was conservative and extra cautionary, were the hallmark of her times. The effort on curbing of waste and graft she amply elucidated in her two books “Fighting corruption is Dangerous” in 2018 as well as its 2012 precursor “Reforming the Unreformable”.

During her first “incarnation” under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria got substantial debt relief. This included: I) Paris Club where we obtained debt relief of about USD18billion and with that, fully exited that category of debt amounting to about USD30billion; II) Nigerian exited the London Club debt of about USD1.48billion – through debt buy-back operation (outright cash payment); III) And the nation exited the Promissory Notes liability of about USD0.0503billion – through cash payment.

Since leaving Government in 2015, like her workaholic erstwhile boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, she has become more globally engaged and “oversubscribed”. She is Adviser to several multinational institutions and multi-billion global funds. For example, she sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), which is African Union’s African Risk Capacity (ARC) – an innovative weather-based insurance mechanism for African countries.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is also “Chair of the Board of the Nelson Mandela Institution”, an umbrella body for the African Institutes of Science and Technology, and Chair of the Board of the African University of Science and Technology in Nigeria. In addition, “she is a member of numerous boards and advisory groups including the Harvard University Advisory Council, the University of Oxford’s Martin School’s Advisory Council, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s International Advisory Panel, the International Commission on Financing Global Education (Chaired by Gordon Brown), the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s International Advisory Board, the Mercy Corps International Advisory Council, Women’s World Banking, Results for Development Institute, the B Team (Co-founded by Sir Richard Branson), the Commission on the New Climate Economy (also co-Chaired by Mr Paul Polman and Lord Nicholas Stern) and the Global Development Network amongst others”.

For the completeness of our records, it would be useful to mention some of her previous engagements. She was also a Board member, Rockefeller Foundation Board, member, One Campaign, member, World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders, and University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Governments. Mrs Ngozi-Iweala was also at a time, member, the International Monetary and Finance Committee of the IMF (2003-2006 and 2011-2015), as well as a part of the United Nations’ Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda that is 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the World Economic Forum Global Leadership Council on Transparency and Corruption, and also the Commission on World Growth, which is an assemblage of leading global economists.

The exciting part of the narrative is that Madam Ngozi is simply a Nigerian or rather, “homebred girl”. She was born in the northern Delta State town of Ogwashi-Ukwu. Indeed, until his demise in September 2019, her father, Professor Chukwuka Okonjo was the Eze (King) of Ogwashi-Ukwu. Again, like most other young women in Nigeria, she was initially educated at home, especially the famous Queen’s School, Enugu which was established in 1954 and produced many great Nigerian women from that part of the country. Later on, she moved on to St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan, and the International School Ibadan, as her Father, a Mathematician, became a Lecturer in the Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan. It was after this foundation at home, that she proceeded to Harvard University in the United States, graduating with a First Class in Economics in 1976. She continued her studies in similar ivy league schools, finishing in 1981 with a Ph.D. in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In a previous edition in 2014, the prestigious Times and Forbes Magazines adjudged her one of the most “Influential and Powerful Women” in a male-dominated world. This places her unarguably in contemporary times, about the same pedestal with such amazons as; one-time US Foreign Secretary, Madelaine Albright, Former US First Lady, Michelle Obama, Former US Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton, Liberian President, Ellen Shileaf Johnson, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, European Central Bank Boss, Christine Langarde.

No doubt, the cumulative impact of women on human civilization and global development in all spheres, in fair assessment, could match or even surpass that of men. This is if we especially look at bits and pieces of informal, micro and unrecorded human activities and some specific fields. Recently I had good reason to write about a greatly pan-female cabinet in Finland, a beautiful country, where I also served as Ambassador once upon a time. Interestingly enough, the Prime Minister of that country and key portfolios as; Interior, Finance, Education and Environment are in the hands of women, mostly in the mid-30s. This is the same thing in New Zealand.

The question, therefore, is when will men, especially in Africa and Nigeria in particular, give so many latent and potential Madam Ngozis around us the opportunity to grow and actualize themselves? Or when will African and Nigerian young women, like their Finnish counterparts, lead major political parties and even form government in our country or be allowed to emerge as Governors or other high office holders?

Congratulations to Nigerian women on this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration and especially to Dr. okonjo-Iweala on her new responsibilities. We are confident that that one day, it will be possible for many more ordinary Nigerian women, with little ease, to ascend the ladder of life and global impact. Obviously, we all have a lot of work to do and the time is now.

Dr. Igali, is a former Ambassador and Retired Federal Permanent Secretary

I recall, most fondly the case of one of my late bosses in my days at The Guardian. Chief as we all called him was the eyes and the ears of the owner of the company. He was Mr. Alex Ibru’s cousin. In his own right, he was a distinguished journalist, one of the best that the Nigerian media industry ever produced. Knowledgeable, confident and self-assertive, Chief was not anybody’s fool. He was a no-nonsense person. He knew the job. He knew everybody. He was not afraid to make enemies. He groomed younger persons. He was our father. But one morning, one Yoruba boy made the mistake of greeting him too much. Yoruba people are very bad when it comes to greetings: they will look at the clock and tell you: “e ku asiko.” Other Nigerians don’t understand why an entire ethnic group must always greet people.

At The Guardian, this young Yoruba boy ran into Chief Andy Akporugo, and greeted him: “E pele sir. Migwo sir.”

Chief fired back: “Shut up. This is the fifth time you are greeting me today. Don’t you have work to do? And why are you not at your desk? Everywhere I go, I run into you and you are busy greeting. Go and sit down and work. Only God knows how many people you have greeted today. If I run into you again and you greet me, I will have you sacked.”

Before long, word went round that it was a crime to greet Chief Andy Akporugo twice in a day. The only problem was that Chief was everywhere. He moved around like a spirit and the staff felt obliged to greet him and pay homage. Some of us got away with it. He would tell me: “Abati, you know you are a brilliant young man, that is why you get away with everything.” God bless Chief’s soul. But I see his point. Yoruba people greet too much. I was in Abeokuta on Saturday. It was Lisabi day. Lisabi is the patron saint of Egbaland. In 1830, the people of Egbaland in the South Western part of Nigeria declared a nation and formed a government – The Egba United Government (EUG). They related directly with the British and other parts of Europe. In the course of the civil war in Yorubaland in the 19th Century, the Egbas were led by a man called Lisabi; that army later teamed up with the Ibadan army to protect the entire Yorubaland against the onslaught of the Fulani Army. They won the war.

They stopped the Fulani Army from dipping the Quoran into the Atlantic Ocean. But the Egba people betrayed Lisabi, their Generalissimo. To atone for that sin, Lisabi is celebrated every year by the people of Egbaland. The Egba National Anthem pays tribute to this valiant warrior. Every Egba child is known as “Omo Lisabi”. Whatever prayer that is taken to “Igbo Lisabi” the spot where the warrior decided to end it all, is answered. So we are told, even when there are other Egba heroes: Balogun Sodeke, Chief Apati of Kemta, Lemboye and Ayikondu of Igbein, Ogundipe Alatishe, Nlado of Kemta, Ogundeyi of Iporo, Sorunke and Aboaba of Igbein etc. In 1914, Lord Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates and the Lagos Colony. Egbaland thus became part of a new Nigeria. In 1859, Abeokuta was the first Nigerian town to have a newspaper: the Iwe Irohin founded by Henry Townsend of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Its children will also become the many firsts in Nigerian professions due to early contact with Western education. In 1930, the people of Egbaland celebrated the first centenary of the Egba nation. There is a Centenary Hall in Abeokuta. The current Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo III, is planning to build a new monument to commemorate the history of the Egba people.

On Saturday, I was in Abeokuta. Although I was not directly involved in the preparations for Lisabi Day, having so far put off all chieftaincy title acceptance ceremonies, I felt a sense of duty to be in the town on the day the iconic Lisabi was being honoured. I was in town also for political reasons. There had been reports in the newspapers about further frictions in my political constituencies: Ogun Central and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. You will recall that I was a Deputy Gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general elections in Ogun State. I was a genuine running mate with only one name and solid certificates if you know what I mean. I needed to talk to the stakeholders, the foot-soldiers and the people we call “strikers” to get a good sense of the politics. The first man I met was more interested in the Corona Virus.

“Deputy, e ku Corona Virus oh.”

That threw me off balance. Two days earlier, an index case of Corona Virus involving an Italian who returned to the country on February 25 had been reported. The Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria wasted no time in constructing a greeting around it: “E ku Corona o” (that is an announcement of awareness and an expression of concern”). “E pele Corona” (that is an expression of sympathy”). “A o ni ri ogun Corona lagbara Jesus” (that is a prayer in Jesus name). “Corona ko ni ko wa lo o” (These people are terrible: this statement means Corona will not destroy us.). “E de ku ti Corona yi o” (that is another expression of concern). The way Yoruba people greet and pray, you simply can’t stop them. Every hello is a paragraph. Every greeting is a philosophy. You just need to be patient. I was.

Nigeria’s first index case who is now in Yaba at the Lagos State Infectious Diseases Hospital was said to have visited Ogun State. He arrived in the country from Italy and went straight to Ewekoro, where there is a cement factory, less than 30 kilometres from Abeokuta. He then returned to Lagos where he has since been isolated. Ogun State has isolated 28 persons with whom the index case, hopefully, he won’t be a super-spreader, reportedly had contact. Across the country, Nigeria has been on the equivalent of a red alert. The Federal Capital. Territory has isolated up to 9 persons. The Benue State Government has set up a 17-man committee to address the likely menace of Corona Virus. Plateau State has quarantined 43 persons in Wase LGA: 25 Nigerians and 18 foreigners. Edo State has put a mechanism in place to track all travelers to Edo State from every part of the country. On the face of it, Nigeria seems to have done better than other countries of the world. There is a big panic in the United Kingdom with senior doctors protesting that the country is not prepared. In the United States where the first death has been recorded in Washington State, the people think a lot more can be done. In Italy, perhaps the second worst-hit country, the authorities are just not prepared. Italy is overwhelmed. Iran is confused.

I have heard a few voices commending Nigeria. But we are not yet doing enough. We need to do more. It is not enough for President Muhammadu Buhari to tell us not to panic. Nigeria should panic. We face a public health safety crisis. Nobody should tell us not to panic. About the same time that Coronavirus made its landing in Nigeria, we were told that Lassa Fever is a major problem in the country: over 100 reported deaths already in more than 27 states. Nigeria also has one of the highest rates of maternal morbidity and infant mortality in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has further reported that Nigeria has the highest seroprevalence of tuberculosis in the world. HIV/AIDS rate may have reduced in Nigeria but it also remains a serious problem around here. Nigeria also ranks among countries with the highest rates of open defecation in the world. Thus, Nigeria is a country with a public health emergency. It is the more reason why every step must be taken to ensure that the Corona Virus does not spread in Nigeria. So far, over 33 countries have been affected including the United States. There is no cure yet, and what we hear is that the fastest vaccine trial effort in Israel, will take up to three months. Since the Virus left Wuhan, its epicenter, there have been more cases outside China, with the new virulent cases being reported in Italy, South Korea, and Iran. The entire world is vulnerable. Our world is at risk. Nobody is safe. The entire world faces the threat of disease. Humanity is humiliated, reminded forcefully and starkly, of its vulnerability and mortality. What is it that we do, that reminds us again and again of the helplessness of man in the face of the immensity and supremacy of the cosmos? I have no answer.

Before I left Abeokuta, however, I was shocked when someone asked me to pay for Corona, again in the Yoruba language: “Deputy, e sanwo Corona oh”. I thought this was a joke. I felt like telling the guy he was mad, but he meant business. “E fun wa lowo Corona oh.” He was literally asking me to give him some money for Corona. He had no fever. Nobody around him had been diagnosed as a Corona patient. He just wanted money and he thought to mention Corona would do the magic. I played along. “Corona ko ni ko wa lo o, tomo tomo.”. In Nigerian politics, you must learn to speak the people’s language and identify with them. The bigger epidemic in Nigeria, in any case, is the epidemic of empty pockets. The ordinary Nigerian will do anything to fill the emptiness of his or her pockets. It is therefore not surprising that the prices of sanitizers, face masks, and hand wash has gone up. I won’t be surprised if very soon, there is a Nollywood movie on Corona Virus! I have already seen photos of some beautiful women carefully posted on Social Media with the message: “Not all Coronas are deadly!” The phone numbers are discreetly attached. In the midst of everything, sad and tragic, Nigerians always manage to be humorous. The only problem is that there is nothing laughable about a global epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to declare it a global pandemic. I think the time has come for that.

COVID-19 as it is designated by the WHO is worse than MERS, SARS, Zika, and Ebola before it. Nigeria woke up early to the crisis. We must commend all the agencies that began with public sensitization and enlightenment programmes. The Federal Government, the state governments of Lagos, Ogun, Plateau, Benue and Edo States have so far done a good job of mobilizing the populace to take precautions or quarantine likely cases. But we certainly need to do a lot more, relying on lessons from other jurisdictions.

Is it possible for example for Nigeria to ban arrivals from all high-risk countries until further notice and that should include China, Japan, Italy, Iran, and South Korea? Can Nigeria also issue a travel advisory insisting that any Nigerian that has been in Europe in the last two weeks should be compulsorily isolated and that no other Nigerian should go to Europe or Asia until further notice? Is it also possible to put every Nigerian state on red alert? There are reports that there is now in Nigeria a scarcity of hand wash, face masks, and sanitizers. The Federal Government should try every effort to ensure an adequate supply of these protective materials particularly for our health personnel who are most at risk. Every available isolation and laboratory centre should also be upgraded. We should scale up medical checks at our ports of entry. The index case in Nigeria came in through Murtala Muhammed Airport. He should have been quarantined at the airport and not allowed into the community. As the Yoruba would say: “A o ni ri ogun Corona. Corona o ni ko wa lo o”. You will have to understand Yoruba to get that.

Yesterday at Arise News, Collins Khumalo of Arise Play came visiting. He had just returned from Europe. We greeted each other shaking legs. He too shook legs with Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, the MD of Arise News. I later exchanged leg greetings with Chika Mbonu, Arise News Business Analyst. When I ended up doing high-fives with Ijeoma, I quickly rushed into the bathroom to wash my hands. She provided money for the purchase of hand wash for all the toilets in the building. We later resolved to advise one of our colleagues who just returned from Europe to stay away from the office for the next two weeks if she doesn’t mind. Covid-19 has brought a new form of madness into town. It is disrupting relationships and the way we behave and do business. Even the Nigerian Stock Market is down. The spot price of Brent Crude has crashed throwing Nigeria’s economy and the 2020 budget into disarray, with genuine anxieties about the eventual value of the national currency, the Naira. Market capitalization has declined. What have we done to deserve this? “E pele Corona oh.”

Charity, they say, begins at home! For him to be sellable to the majority of Nigerians, Tinubu must metamorphose into that political leader and presidential candidate with the most intense national outlook, farthest outreach, and most acceptable leadership character! He has to start working on the homogeneity of the Yoruba aspirations for a start. And there is only one thing that can unite the race, which the late MKO Abiola got right! MKO, as he was fondly called, was able to reach out to the people through objective philanthropism; objective, because he has research fellows who did the subtle underground job for him! That the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader is a cheerful giver, who helps a lot, has never been in doubt! However, the notorious truth is that Tinubu funnels lots of money through channels that may not percolate to the nitty-gritty of the people as anticipated! Of course, that’s an avoidable error! Any distribution mechanism adopted by a campaign organization must be pragmatic, driven and assertive! For effective effects, the core-but-voiceless Yoruba people must be reached, and their burden alleviated. Limitation of reach, the concomitant loss of confidence in government, and frustration of the mass of the people may be veritable reasons why a section of the race seems unimpressed by his philanthropy.

To make the job easier for Tinubu, the Southwest has to be one; and behind him. Impliedly, he has to come as the true Asiwaju of Yorubaland by going above all the structures to reach the core of the Yoruba race, reconciling factions, without necessarily relying on his long-known-but-now-not-so-effective approach. Impliedly, the former Lagos State governor needs image makers and people who can do scientific survey explorations that can help him make decisions that will be hard to fault. Yes, Tinubu remains a visionary and master planner who can come out with amazing things. However, he also has to showcase true leadership qualities and assurances that he can deliver to the people. On this, he has Lagos State to use as an example. As it’s Chief Executive for eight years, he didn’t construct or commission bridges or stadia while his tenure lasted but he laid the plans for a new Lagos. Today, the ‘Centre of Excellence’ is a megacity to behold.

In 2019, the margin of victory between APC and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the Southwest zone of the country was just 51% of the margin of victory between the former and the latter, incidentally, Nigeria’s main opposition party, in Jigawa State; and 28% in Katsina State. In 2015, it was much better: 82% and 49% respectively! This goes to show that Tinubu has a lot of work to do, first, in Yorubaland – which currently looks like a battleground – before going to other zones. For the party to make any meaningful impact in 2023, APC, to which Tinubu subscribes, must embark on sincere internal cleansing. It must ‘conquer itself from itself’ in order to accommodate today’s realities and dynamics.

That the ruling party currently behaves as if it has exclusive rights over Nigeria; and as if it is the only party that has solutions to Nigeria’s leadership-inflicted problems is no longer news. This is not only troubling, but it is also capable of threatening this once-in-a-lifetime dream. Yes, Nigeria might have had leaders who became presidents without home support. However, with a man like Tinubu and what he has done for humanity in and outside the zone, a loss at home will not only demean his status, it will also cast a negative political slur on the collective negotiating capacity of the Yoruba race.

The truth of the matter is that all politics is local and political practice in this part of the world is a game for the highest bidder; which, again, boils down to prebendal politics currently threatening Nigeria’s fledgling democracy. The ruling party must rise above the rumblings and the grumblings currently troubling its Israel, with a view to becoming focused, cohesive and well-integrated. It is then that it can speak with one voice from the Southwest and negotiate with other regions on its choice of candidate. Otherwise, the party will not do well because structural problems and internal frictions within it could ruin everything!

For Tinubu himself to make waves, he must also have a firm grip on a few of his trusted confidants or kitchen cabinet. These men of honour must be willing and ready to work for him and in his interest. A system that carelessly empowers wrong hands and cronies who only end up as political liabilities and traitors is not only politically counterproductive, it is also suicidal. Incidentally, those who knew nothing about the struggle, or were even perhaps against the progressives when the struggle for the soul of Nigeria was hot and scorching, have, like a chameleon, worn the garment of the progressives and are now using our hard-earned democracy as identity vehicle to traumatize, even, demonize the real guys. And that’s why it can never be real because they were never progressives.

All said, Asiwaju’s rumoured presidential bid if there is any meat in it, requires tact and diligent planning. It requires ability to do things right and do the right things. It demands being efficient and being effective. In this wise, the Jagaban of Borgu must consider an urgent need for a comprehensive Research Centre that has international standards. Nigerians will no longer tolerate leaders who are bereft of ideas and credible facts; one who can not marshal relevant information at their disposal. In this digital age, our president can no longer afford to be moving around with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) or those aged, jaded, third-party statistics that have no bearing on current trends. That is why, many a time, the projections of our policies are wrong because they are from a faulty premise. The same reason Nigeria’s president will have to get to Chatham House in London before making policy pronouncements on Nigeria. Of course, that is why a man, who is going to lose an election tomorrow, will be fantasizing about how he would be inaugurated as president of the country.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

*KOMOLAFE writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

The bill, known as “Bill for an Act to Alter Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Extend Immunity to Cover Presiding Officers of Legislative Institutions,” has passed the second reading at the House of Representatives. It seeks to amend Section 308 of the constitution to extend immunity to all the principal officers at the country’s National Assembly and the houses of assembly of the states while in office.

Briefly, Section 308 provides that: “no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors during their period of office.”

The proposed amendment to Section 308 to cover the lawmakers would mean that any criminal or civil action for the crime of corruption or other egregious crimes they commit while in office would be stayed until the expiration of their tenure.

The bill first appeared in parliament in 2016 but the lawmakers then backtracked after a public outcry over the move.

In effect, the bill will protect lawmakers from legal consequences for corruption, exacerbate the impunity that prevails in Nigeria’s political circles and worsen the country’s ranking in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. And this would have a negative effect on the human rights of Nigerians.

Since the return of democracy in 1999, several politicians—including governors with allegations of corruption against them — have sought to hide out in the National Assembly. The proposed bill will now make them almost untouchable once they swear their oath of office as lawmakers.

Some lawmakers, including the sponsor of the bill, Odebunmi Olusegun of Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere federal constituency (APC, Oyo), and at least two members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) and Nkem-Abonta Uzoma (PDP, Abia) —believe that the bill will protect them from “blackmail” while in office; that fear is misplaced.

The lawmakers are already covered by parliamentary immunity under the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2018, which means they are immune from civil or criminal proceedings for anything they say in parliament.

This is a privilege developed to ensure open and fearless debate in Parliament and is similar to the situation of lawmakers in the US and UK, where members of Parliament cannot be sued for defamation for statements made in Parliament, which Nigerian politicians frequently cite as “best practices.”

However, this Act doesn’t shield lawmakers from prosecution for crime of corruption or other egregious crimes. The proposed amendment to Section 308 would now extend the immunity provided under the Act to shield lawmakers from criminal and civil proceedings, far beyond existing Parliamentary privileges and immunities.

The push for immunity for lawmakers ignores the history and legacy of corruption in Nigeria and its impact on human rights. It’s also at odds with Nigeria’s international commitments as a member of the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

There is no legal justification to provide immunity to lawmakers beyond the privileges they already enjoy, as to do so would be antithetical to the fundamental principle that all persons are equal before the law, and to Nigeria’s voluntary obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption, which in article 30(2) requires states parties to limit immunity from investigation, prosecution or adjudication of corruption offences.

Similarly, the Commonwealth Working Group on the Recovery and Repatriation of Assets of Illicit Origin has stated that Heads of State/Government, ministers, and other public officials should not have immunity from prosecution for alleged criminal activity.

Lawmakers also argue that if the president, his deputy, state governors, and their deputies can enjoy immunity, there is no reason why they should not also enjoy immunity. But it’s difficult to see how granting immunity to lawmakers will aid the fight against grand corruption in the country.

The lawmakers’ “leveling up” strategy is, in fact, counter-productive, as section 308 of the Constitution is already shown to impede disproportionately the conduct of inquiries, prosecutions and the sentencing of the persons it covers and thereby contributing to the prevailing impunity of politicians for corruption.

Lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution for corruption would fuel perceptions that those charged with the responsibility to make laws for the country are seeking to use their position to stay one step ahead of the law.

Rather than trying to “level up” with the executive—at both the federal and state levels—members of the House of Representatives should push to exclude section 308 or limit its application to cases of corruption and other similar crimes that have an impact on human rights. Doing this will prompt real change in the country’s political culture and help to improve the lawmakers’ image with Nigerians.

If the bill is passed, it will constrain the ability of Mr Buhari’s government to fight corruption, as it will mean that lawmakers will see expanded opportunities to line their pockets and divert scant public resources through, for example, the so-called “Constituency Projects” and with no fear of facing prosecution while they remain in office.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) already found in a recent report that Nigerian federal lawmakers use the Constituency Projects as a conduit for pocketing public funds.

This will deny justice to Nigerian victims of human rights violations and abuses caused by corruption.

All human rights can be restricted by corruption, be they economic, social, cultural, civil, or political rights. Opening the door to impunity threatens the rights of all people in Nigeria. The higher levels of corruption, the lesser degree of human rights protection. For example, corruption in the management of public resources and public services denies people their right to education, health, and other rights.

Criminal prosecution represents the best hope for holding lawmakers to account for corruption since Nigerian laws do not currently allow people to pursue cases in civil or human rights action against corrupt politicians.

If lawmakers want to protect themselves from politically motivated charges, they should pass laws to reform and improve the country’s criminal justice system. This will ensure that due process is always observed in corruption cases, including those that involve lawmakers, and that the executive does not use its anti-corruption fight as a tool for political expediency.

Whether the Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr Femi Gbajabiamila will use his leadership position to ensure that the bill is dropped, remains to be seen.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s job of tackling corruption is already complicated enough without immunity for lawmakers. He now must publicly condemn and reject the bill, if he is to be able to deliver on his anti-corruption promises to Nigerians.

It’s time for Mr Buhari’s government to comply in law and in practice with Nigeria’s international obligations and commitments.

But if the bill will go ahead, it’s up to the public to put pressure on the lawmakers to drop the bill and stop the impunity. That means people being constantly on their guard against corruption and to ensure that the public interest is protected in any constitutional amendment.

Otherwise, Nigeria’s lawmakers will be able to cloak corruption behind the shield of immunity. That will allow them to do as they please and restrict access to justice for victims of corruption, with devastating consequences for human rights and the public interest.

Kolawole Olaniyan, the author of Corruption and Human Rights Law in Africa, is a legal adviser at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat, London.

I have followed news reports, commentaries, opinion articles and street reactions for and against the restriction on the commercial operations of Okada and Keke by my principal, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in some parts of Lagos State. While some appear as a balanced arguments, especially along the economic line, which can’t stand as good reasons for a policy reversal, several others were pure sentiment and emotional outbursts, mostly lacking in logical reasoning. A careful analysis of the subject matter has shown that there is a consensus among the protagonists and the antagonists that commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists have become a danger in Lagos; everybody knows and agrees to this red flag! In fact, many of those against the Okada restriction, whether knowingly or unknowingly have called for the total eradication of bicycles and tricycles in the city of Lagos.

A columnist, Bimbo Adelakun in the back page of the Punch newspaper on Thursday, February 6th wrote:

‘’In principle, I am not against the ban on those vehicles themselves, but the timing and the execution of Sanwo-Olu’s decision. I believe that okadas and kekes have to go at some point. They are an urban nuisance, an ungainly sight, a blight, and an ugly blotch on Nigeria’s botched landscape. Those vehicles desecrate spaces and painfully highlight the un-citiness of our cities.”

Same with Bashorun Dele Momodu in his pendulum column at the back page of ThisDay newspaper submitted that:

”Apart from the population explosion and the stupendous traffic jams, Lagos is bedeviled by a major security conflagration. This arises from its metropolitan nature and its willingness to welcome and absorb all those who genuinely want to be a part of its miracle. The flip side of this welcoming attitude is that Lagos will also attract shady characters and nefarious elements. The recent influx of unidentifiable immigrants into Lagos is just a sample of this major headache and has further compounded the bad situation.”

There are several other writers who have taken a position either for or against this restriction. Many of them have offered what they, in their opinion think should be the best solution to the Okada menace. I see this as a good development for our fledgling democracy. However, one must remind these opinion writers that most of what they offered in their write-ups were at one time or another, part of several suggestions placed before Government. One must also educate them that Government didn’t wake up to place restrictions on the commercial activities of bicycles and tricycles in parts of the city.

Deaths were being recorded on a daily basis as a result of the reckless nature of Okada riders. Security of lives was threatened, as Okada became the easiest form of mobility for criminals. Recklessness, disorderliness and total disregard for the traffic rules reigned supreme among the Okada and Keke riders.

Their behaviour has taken a toll on the social and environmental well-being of the people.

The government has a responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens. As Governor Sanwo-Olu said during the flag off of the commercial operations of Lagos Ferry services, his administration deemed it necessary to restrict the operation of commercial motorcycles and tricycles in some parts of the State, especially in six Local Governments, nine Local Council Development Areas (LCDA), 16 major highways and 41 bridges, where there have been records of security breaches, disobedience to traffic rules, accidents and untimely deaths caused by motorcycle and tricycle riders. The decision of the government is definitely in line with what he promised over 22 million Lagosians during his inauguration on May 29, 2019.

“We intend to make history by making for ourselves and our children a better future…Let us vow to ourselves, and to posterity that we shall not just dream of a Greater Lagos. Let us agree this day that we shall collectively rise up to build the Lagos of our dreams.

“My administration will ensure that we walk the talk as far as transparency, the rule of law and fiscal discipline are concerned. We will make sure that we create the right environment in which security and safety of lives and property are guaranteed…On this day, I vow as your Governor that I will serve the public cause with my utmost ability and commitment,” Governor Sanwo promised while delivering his inaugural address titled ‘Awakening a Greater Lagos’ on May 29, 2019, at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.

Therefore, as a man who is passionate about pursuing his dream of a Greater Lagos, it is expected of him to do the needful in protecting the citizens of the state who trooped out en masse during the March 9, 2019 governorship poll to elect him as the Chief Executive of the commercial capital of Nigeria.

There is also a need to remind these commentators that one of the rare qualities of a leader is his ability to make tough decisions especially in the best interest of the people. As a great leader, Governor Sanwo-Olu believes in the greatest good for the greatest number. On the strength of this, Mr. Governor has said his decision to restrict the movements of Okada and Keke in the publicized locations is irreversible because it was made in the best interest of the residents.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while launching eight locally manufactured speedboats of the Lagos State Ferry Services, LAGFERRY held at Badore Ferry Terminal, Ajah, reiterated that the decision was for security and safety reasons.

He said: “We will sustain the restriction on Okada and tricycles, mainly because of security and safety reasons. The security and safety of citizens are paramount to any government. As a responsible government, we will not fold our arms and allow any security breach in the state.

“We will continue to ensure the safety of our people on all fronts. There have been reports of serious security breaches and safety concerns in areas where these operators ply. We had to respond to these concerns because of lives and safety matter to this government.”

Reports from different quarters have shown clearly that more people, including opposition parties in the state, are fully in support of the step taken by the Government. None has outrightly disagreed with the restriction policy but many of them have raised concerns about the provision of alternatives for commuters and riders who were affected by the order.

In answering the above question, less than 24 hours after the enforcement of the restriction, Governor Sanwo-Olu ordered the release of 65 buses to immediately begin operations. There are plans for additional 550 buses for the feeder roads. This is to ameliorate the challenge being faced by the residents. Also, the continuation of massive rehabilitation of roads across the state is part of efforts by the government to give the residents a great lease of life.

Corroborating the Governor’s position, the National Publicity Secretary of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Adejare Adeoye, in a press statement he signed and issued on Monday said: “Sanitising Lagos State and getting rid of these lawless miscreants that have been invading Lagos in droves for many years is a welcome development and good step in the right direction. Many of them hide under the pretense of riding Okada and Keke during the day, while they strategically distribute themselves in inner and exterior parts of Lagos State committing all manners of crimes and untold hardship on residents.

“Security of lives and properties in any part of Nigeria is a business of all citizens of Nigeria, so, undocumented invaders, should not be allowed in any part of the country, as there is serious need for vigilance due to the growing rate of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, thuggery, mindless killings and other criminal activities.

“Many of these guys are invaders, who must be checked and be sent back to wherever they came from. At least, on two occasions, they have shown their true colors, when they went to attack Ejigbo Police Station in Oshodi-Isolo, around 11 pm at night, which caused panic in the area. At another time, they went to attack a local government, because a task force officers of the local council demanded for the normal levy, which they refused to pay, hence their bike got confiscated, instead of following lawful ways to get the issue resolved, they resulted to lawless act by setting the local government council on fire. This is brutal, crude, mindless, and must be stopped.

“We cannot afford to open our eyes, while these aliens take over the entire Lagos because if not quickly arrested, we won’t all be able to sleep, as another type of insurgents might spring up, and will be troubling everyone of us in the State. When our lives are threatened by invaders, we must learn to eschew politics of bitterness and stand by the truth.”

Also speaking on the issue, a security expert and President of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, said the restriction was necessary to bring sanity back to Lagos roads.

He disclosed this during an interview published on Saturday, February 1 edition of The Punch Newspaper.

Ekhomu said, “The ban on okada and keke on some routes in Lagos has some advantages. I think the government has done well in a civil manner by listing the roads where they are to stop plying. Any commercial motorcycle or tricycle rider that is affected should simply look for other routes to ply because it is good to have sanity on the road.

“Those that used to ply Ikorodu road around the Ketu and Mile 12 axis had hitherto constituted nuisance. A society without rules and regulations is a lawless society, so, I think that they should abide by it.”

A governorship candidate in the 2019 governorship election in Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi, without any iota of doubt is a passionate Lagosian who wants the best for Lagos State and this is the reason he contested to govern the State on three occasions. Despite the political differences between him and Governor Sanwo-Olu, Gbadamosi hailed Lagos State government for taking a bold step to restrict the operation of the commercial motorcycles.

“There is no doubt in my mind that something needed to be done about the clear and present danger that many Okada & Keke operators had come to constitute to the lives and limbs of Lagosians, as well as their safety and security, with the invasion of Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA HQ still fresh in our minds, as well as several recently, reported incidents of attempted lynchings by mobs of Okada riders over traffic incidents. To that extent, one must commend the government for making some kind of decision,” he stated in a Facebook post titled “Transport for Lagos PT 2” on Tuesday, February 4.

The icing on the cake is the support by the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress. Commenting on the restriction, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Seye Oladejo, said people remained the focal point of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

His words: “Let me recall that the law being implemented has been in place for over six years after painstaking efforts by the Lagos State house of assembly to incorporate in-puts from all stakeholders. The gradual implementation of the law is a reflection of the thoughtfulness of the government not to create a shock in the polity.

“While he noted the reasons for the partial ban, it was convenient not to acknowledge the measures put in place by government to stem the impact. May I use this medium to acknowledge and appreciate the voluntary compliance of some operators in line with the laws of the state. We also wish to encourage the riders to take advantage of opportunities offered by the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, the Lagos State Vocational Training Institutes, the ministry of women affairs and poverty alleviation, civic engagement etc. The people remain the focal point of the Sanwo-Olu administration while not losing sight of its onerous responsibility to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizenry.”

Reading through the views of many people, it is clear to me that this action taken by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is in the best interest of Lagos State and all the residents.

It should however be noted that this is not the first time that Lagos State government will be restricting the operation of commercial motorcycles in the State. Former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration in 2012 banned Okada in some parts of Lagos due to increase in crimes and high records of accident victims in government hospitals, a move that saw a drastic reduction in crime rate and Okada-related hospital enrolments.

* Akosile is the Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The first case of Corona Virus was reported just before the Chinese Lunar New Year 2020 celebrations, and since then, the new virus has defied both man and science. On January 28, the highest number of reported cases was reported, but by Monday, February 10, that had jumped exponentially to 97 casualties per day and total cases in excess of 40, 000, with 908 persons reported dead. The statistics and the sero-prevalence rate seem unprecedented, far worse than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome of 2003 which claimed 774 lives. The World Health Organization has classified the new Corona Virus as a public health emergency of international concern, a delicate, diplomatic phrasing which barely stops short of declaring the nCoV-2019, as it is otherwise known, a global pandemic – considering the fact that mainland China, especially Wuhan, a city of 11 million people and the Hubei province in general, remain the epicenter – 99% of reported cases are in mainland China and out of the total number of deaths, only two have occurred outside China.

The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has commended China for its efforts at prevention and containment, even if the Politburo, the highest political body in China has had to express regrets for “failing” the people. The truth is: China is overwhelmed. Businesses have been affected, the stock market is down, lives are threatened, over 40 million people are in quarantine. China is engaging the world as the epicenter of a crisis, the global economy is likely to be affected given China’s strategic importance, and yet nobody knows when the Corona virus will ease off, or when scientists will find a cure. It is not only China that is at risk, it is the entire world. Our civilization is under threat and of course, the tragedy is man-made. These are the cold, uncomfortable facts as at the time of this writing. The Corona Virus has brought the entire world to the precipice of uncertainty and disaster. It reminds us collectively of our mortality and the common humanity and vulnerability that we share.

Globalization turned the world into a small village, technology erased distances, but in the face of a global scourge like new Corona Virus, the world has turned into a much smaller village. Most of the people and countries that are taking precautions against Corona Virus don’t even know where Wuhan is on the map. Some people ate snake meat or is it Pangolin or bat meat in Wuhan and they got infected with a virus – animal to man transmission, which has now spread to over 27 countries and mutated as a deadly human-to-human communicable disease. China which is ordinarily regarded as a major superpower has suddenly become a pariah nation. Countries have issued travel alerts to their citizens: do not go to China, and those who are in China are being evacuated and whoever arrives from China is immediately quarantined for two weeks.

This is the same China that only recently engaged the United States in a trade war. The same China is now the diseased nation that nobody wants to touch. Imports from China have been suspended. Trips to China have been put on hold. China’s tourism industry is bound to suffer. Who wants to go to a country where a virus is on rampage, and the air is polluted? It is not for nothing that the media in Europe has dubbed the Corona Virus, the China Virus – an average Chinese citizen would not like that – but the truth is that the new Corona Virus wears the toga of a nationality. Before it, there was the Swine flu (2009), Polio (2014), Zika (2016), Ebola (2014, 2019) but it is the new Corona Virus that has obtained a national passport and an identification tag of notorious universal recognition. This may have translated into racist conclusions about Chinese identity and cuisine. I have heard allegations that the Chinese eat anything and everything, including animals that are considered a taboo in many cultures – Bats? Cockroaches? Rats? Snakes? Millipedes and centipedes? Monkeys? Pangolin? E-eeish! It is said that the Chinese have brought this latest biological dissonance upon humanity because of their unusual culinary taste. I know people who have simply opted to stay away from anything Chinese in the meantime, until there is some certainty about what exactly is going on. I wanted to order food from a Chinese Restaurant the other day. I was quietly reminded of Corona Virus. I had no option but to restrain my palate. I wanted Chinese balm, a popular product in Nigeria, a few days later. I was also advised to be careful. I ignored that advice. The labelling of everything Chinese as an item crowned by a virus is exaggerated and overblown. But as Nigerians would say in pidgin English: who wan die?

This is probably why every country and institution is taking precautions. The United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand have had cause to evacuate their citizens from China. Airlines including FinnAir, American Airlines, United, Cathay Pacific, Air India, Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Air Asia, and Lufthansa have either stopped flights to China or reduced their Chinese operations by 90%. The effect is that supply chains have been disrupted with consequences for trade performance. The global economy is bound to slow down in the long run if this situation persists. But what is perhaps more relevant to us should be this: How prepared is Africa and particularly Nigeria? I don’t think Africa is prepared at all, and we are likely to be worst hit should the virus make an effective landing in our continent.

For now across Africa, we have only heard of suspected cases: in Ghana where there were two suspected cases involving a Chinese and an Argentine who returned from China, but the result was negative in both cases. Suspected cases in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Botswana have also proven negative. The only reported case of infection involving an African is that of a Cameroonian student living in Wuhan. Kenya has taken steps to evacuate its students in China. Mozambique has suspended its visa on arrival policy. Africa and South America seem insulated from the scourge so far. But for how much longer? The Chinese Lunar New Year Holiday was extended, in the face of the outbreak of the virus, but that holiday ended yesterday, Monday, February 10. Using that as guide, if there was any Chinese living in Africa or doing business in Africa, he or she is likely to return to base after the holiday. In the last decade or more, Sino-African relationship has grown tremendously, China seeking to fill a vacuum inadvertently created by the EU and the United States, has increased its scope of influence in Africa through friendly loans, investments and cultural outreach. It is not an accident that African leaders at the just concluded 33rd AU Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa expressed solidarity with China! The Chinese presence in Africa is unmistakable and it is quite pronounced in a country like Nigeria where the Chinese are involved in significant sectors of the economy including oil and gas, telecommunications, manufacturing, infrastructure, SMEs and retail trade. This week, all the Chinese who went home on holiday will start returning one after the other.

When the story of the Corona Virus broke, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was most unusually proactive, which I think is commendable. The Federal Ministry of Health quickly followed suit, to educate Nigerians about the threat of the Corona Virus. Preventive guidelines were announced, and a travel advisory was issued. This is indeed commendable, even if the efforts were not translated into local, indigenous languages, that is – the languages of the majority of Nigerians. The campaign has thus far been so elitist and restricted. In due course, the Nigerian authorities further announced that the Federal Government had established eight isolation centres as follows: in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and seven states of the Federation – Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Enugu, Delta, Cross River and Kano. The problem is that nobody knows exactly where these isolation centres are located.

The relevant authorities tell us that in preparing for the Corona Virus which has not yet been reported in Nigeria, they are relying on the protocols and infrastructure already put in place in 2014 to combat the Ebola Virus. In 2014, Nigeria was confronted with the Ebola Virus crisis, introduced to the country by a traveler from Liberia who came to Nigeria to seek spiritual cure for Ebola. Knowledge and experience can definitely prove useful in everything including a biological and pharmaceutical crisis such as Corona Virus. But has Nigeria done enough or is Nigeria prepared? I don’t think so. There is definitely no evidence that we have enough medical counter-measures to protect the medical and public health personnel who are supposed to man our ports. A gentleman who just returned from Chicago reported on live television and I have no cause to doubt him, that the situation at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos, to cite a specific example, is chaotic and below standard practice. Government officials pretend to check for high temperature and other symptoms but they are not protected. Nigeria has not made any provision for medical counter measures. Nigeria is sending medical personnel and Ministry officials to the ports to put them at risk. Until we have another case of Stella Adadevoh, like Li Weliang, the Chinese whistleblower who paid the supreme price for Corona Virus, the Nigerian government is not likely to wake up. That is unacceptable.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health and state governments have to do a lot more. I will comment on the latter. As at this moment, only three states – Lagos, Ebonyi and Ogun out of the 36 states of the Federation would seem to have shown interest in the Corona Virus prevention campaign. We expect every state of the Federation, close as they are to the grassroots, to take up the campaign and inform the populace appropriately. At the national level, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health will also need to address what has become around the subject of Corona Virus, an “infodemic crisis” – that is the crisis of conspiracy theories and misinformation and hazardous false information. Is the Corona Virus a biological weapon?. Really? Is it a strategy by big pharmaceutical companies to enlarge market and increase profit? President Donald Trump and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have also been linked to the conspiracy. Does that make sense? We have also been told that eating garlic or drinking a bleach concoction can help prevent a Corona Virus infection. Is that true? The Nigerian agencies are yet to respond to this. They should. They should take the additional step of addressing the spiritual question which determines everything in Nigeria from politics to business. Is Corona Virus a spiritual affliction or biology gone awry? If care is not taken, Nigerian shamanists, prophets, traditionalists and pastors will soon take advantage of the uncertainty to claim that they had predicted the occurrence of the virus and that, indeed they have the solution. Government should immediately arrest anyone who mouths such idiocy. Our only hope is that the Corona Virus will never make its way here, but as the Boys Scouts motto states, we should “Be Prepared”. The bad news is that there is no effective treatment for the virus. And a worse virus may soon show up, leaving humanity effectively at the mercy of disease and the environment.

II: Asisat Oshoala, the Super Star

When Asisat Oshoala, the Super Falcons and Barcelona Ferminino striker was declared winner of the African Women’s Footballer of the Year, 2019, a few weeks ago, the big concern was that her own compatriots who sat on the Confederation of Africa Football judges panel refused to vote for her. Every single one of them voted for an outsider. They didn’t consider their own compatriot good enough. I have addressed this matter at length in a piece titled “The Betrayal of Asisat Oshoala,” (This Day, back page, January 14).

At the time, Ms. Oshoala lost her cool momentarily and tried to engage her critics which was absolutely unnecessary. But the best response that she has offered, and the one that is relevant, is how, after returning to her club in Europe, she has been putting up such sterling performance that further confirms her status as a super star on the pitch.

In January, she won the Africa Football Women’s Player of the year to equal the record of fellow Nigerian Perpetua Nkwocha. With her current performance, Oshoala does not want to just equal existing record, she wants to break the record in African Women’s Football. After winning the CAF award in January she reportedly said: “…I want to create my own history and not just equal someone else’s record – I’m going to give my best to create mine.” She is doing just that right now. Five-time winner of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, best player at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, winner of the BBC Footballer of the Year, 2015, Chinese Women’s Super League Top Scorer, 2017, she scored a brace in Barcelona’s 10–1 trouncing and humiliation of Real Sociedad in the Spanish Women’s League Super Cup Final on February 9, 2020. Loaned to Barcelona from China in January 2019, and later offered a permanent transfer, Asisat Oshoala has been a formidable and result-oriented member of the Barca line up and one of its most valuable players.

On January 11, 2020, four days after the CAF awards, Oshoala scored four goals in a 6-0 win against CD Tacon. She has been consistent since then. Whoever has any doubt about her achievements and quality may end up voting for her someday soon. Congratulations Asisat. Keep shooting. Keep shining.