Category: Nigeria

By Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh

Every nation reaches a defining moment when reform moves beyond promise and becomes real, visible on the roads people travel, the hospitals they enter, and the infrastructure that powers their daily life. For Nigeria, that moment is no longer ahead. It is here.
Three years since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, assumed office on May 29, 2023, the evidence is no longer measured only in policies announced. It is measured in concessions signed, airports handed over, power plants commissioned, and investors arriving at our doorstep with capital in hand. This administration is no longer defined simply by the courage to make tough decisions, but by the visible results those decisions are delivering.
The road here was not easy, and President Tinubu never pretended it would be. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), he inherited an economy under severe strain, a fiscal deficit at 5.4% of GDP, net foreign reserves of $3.99 billion, and an investor community that had grown deeply skeptical of Nigeria’s promises. In those first decisive hours, he told Nigerians the truth about the cost of the journey ahead. The subsidy removal, the exchange rate unification, and the coordinated fiscal and monetary reforms that followed were acts of political courage rarely seen in any democracy. They also reflected strategic foresight, because no nation can attract the private capital needed to build a modern economy while continuing to subsidize a broken status quo.

A Nation the World Now Trusts
Three years on, the verdict of the world’s most respected financial institutions tells the story better than any government statement can.
Nigeria’s external reserves have climbed from a net $3.99 billion in 2023 to about $50 billion in May 2026. The fiscal deficit has been more than halved, from 5.4% to 3.0% of GDP. GDP grew at 4% in 2025, while the World Bank has projected a 4.2% growth rate for 2026. The Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) posted a 48.12% gain in 2025. Foreign direct investment surged to $720 million in Q3 2025, up from $90 million one quarter prior.
Beyond these numbers, a cascade of independent global validations has reshaped how the world sees Nigeria.
In 2025, Fitch Ratings upgraded Nigeria’s long-term issuer default rating from B- to B, citing exchange rate liberalization and sustained fiscal reform. Moody’s also raised Nigeria’s sovereign outlook, pointing to policy consistency and a stronger external position. On May 15, 2026, S&P Global Ratings announced Nigeria’s first upgrade in fourteen years, lifting the country’s rating from B- to B with a stable outlook, supported by sustained structural reforms, stronger reserves, and growing domestic refining capacity.
In October 2025, Nigeria exited the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, signaling stronger financial governance and lower risk premiums. In April 2026, FTSE Russell restored Nigeria from “Unclassified” to Frontier Market status, reopening the country to global index funds and the capital flows that follow.
Nigeria also deepened engagement with major international financial institutions. In March 2025, the country became the 77th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). By early 2026, the EBRD had signed a $100 million trade finance facility with Access Bank Nigeria Plc, while its President, Odile Renaud-Basso, visited Nigeria to strengthen the country’s position as the institution’s hub for expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) also advanced major financing commitments into Nigeria’s private sector to develop a pipeline of bankable PPP projects across transport, energy, ICT, and sanitation.
Each of these is an independent verdict rendered by institutions that do not respond to rhetoric. They respond to results. And the results are what this administration has delivered.
Nigeria’s macroeconomic reforms were never an end in themselves. They were necessary to unlock long-term infrastructure investment. Public private partnerships (PPPs) thrive on investor confidence, fiscal stability, transparent market signals, and policy consistency. No serious investor commits capital to airports, power plants, highways, or seaports in an uncertain economic environment. By restoring credibility and stability, these reforms repositioned Nigeria as a destination for long-term PPP investment and infrastructure financing.

The Signal: A Summit That Moved the World
In June 2025, President Tinubu convened the Nigeria PPP Summit, hosted by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: The Role of Public Private Partnerships in Delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.” Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima GCON, the President brought the African Development Bank (AfDB), the IFC, Afreximbank, Africa50, UK-Nigeria Infrastructure Facility, International Development Island (IDI), Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), African Export Import Bank (Afrixem), PAC Capital and leading private sector institutions to Abuja not as observers, but as partners ready to deploy capital.
His message was plain: “What matters to the average Nigerian is not promises, but, roads to their farms, access to clean water, modern hospitals, and quality schools. We must build. We must deliver. And we must do it together.”
For decades, infrastructure conversations in Nigeria often ended at conferences, communiqués, and announcements. What is changing now is execution. The difference Nigerians are beginning to see is that projects are no longer trapped between announcement and abandonment.
The President matched those words with action. In August 2025, the ICRC introduced new PPP guidelines under presidential directive, devolving powers of approval so ministries can clear projects worth up to twenty billion naira and agencies up to ten billion naira. The Commission also pledged to issue compliance certificates within days, while a model PPP agreement template developed with the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMoJ) is scheduled for release in June 2026. These are more than procedural changes. They represent a structural shift in how Nigeria works with the private sector, one designed to be more transparent, more efficient, and more effective in turning policy into delivery.

The Proof: Projects Delivered Across Every Sector
Between 2023 and today, the FEC approved over Seventeen PPP projects under President Tinubu’s leadership. Each represents private capital being mobilised for public infrastructure and national development.
Other older PPP projects are also now attracting needed private sector investment under this administration.
Aviation: Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, concession signed and airport handed over to a private operator in July 2025. Port Harcourt International Airport approved in November 2025. V-PASS contactless biometric verification system is currently being deployed across Nigerian airports. MMA2 dispute resolution, where President Tinubu resolved a twenty-year concession stalemate, reinforcing contract sanctity and restoring investor confidence in the aviation sector.
For years, Nigeria’s aviation concessions struggled under uncertainty and disputes. The current administration has instead used contract sanctity as a signal to investors that agreements will survive political transitions and remain protected under the law.
Energy: Farin Ruwa 20MW Hydropower Project, Nasarawa State has achieved commercial close, and implementation underway since October 2025. Ikere Gorge 6MW Hydropower Plant, Oyo State, was handed over to the concessionaire in January 2026. Katsina Ala 460MW Hydropower Plant, Benue State has achieved commercial close in May 2026. Onne Port 50MW and Apapa Port 36MW Independent Power Projects, both certified and advancing.
The significance of these projects lies not only in megawatts generated, but in the deliberate use of private capital to close longstanding infrastructure gaps that government funding alone cannot address.
Maritime: Ondo Multipurpose Deep and Bakassi Deep Seaports both approved in December 2025 to expand cargo capacity and reduce pressure on existing ports. Federal Coastal Fishery Terminal, Borokiri, Rivers State, approved in May 2025.
These projects are expected to reshape regional trade logistics, unlock industrial corridors, and position Nigeria more competitively within continental and global maritime commerce.
Health: MEDIPOOL is meant to centralise the procurement and distribution of medicines, vaccines, and consumables nationwide under a coordinated PPP framework.
Digital governance: Product Authentication and Tracking System commercial close achieved in March 2026 to combat counterfeiting and strengthen revenue assurance. Smart National Transport Data Bank approved under the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), creating a real-time digital intelligence backbone across road, rail, air, and marine transport.

The Road Ahead
Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit stands at an estimated $2.3 trillion. Closing it requires approximately $100 billion annually, far beyond what public spending alone can provide. That is precisely why President Tinubu has made PPP not just a policy, but a presidency-defining commitment. A new national PPP project pipeline, soon to be published by the ICRC, will give investors structured, real-time visibility into Nigeria’s most investment-ready opportunities across every sector and region.
Three years ago, President Tinubu promised not an easy path, but a rebuilt one. He promised to replicate across Nigeria what infrastructure development had achieved in Lagos. Project by project, concession by concession, reform by reform, that promise is steadily taking shape.
The Renewed Hope Agenda is no longer a vision document. It is a construction site stretching from Enugu’s airport to Rivers State’s fishery terminal, from Benue’s dam to Nasarawa’s highlands, from Aba’s factory floors to the ninety thousand kilometres of fibre cable being laid across Nigerian territory. Infrastructure that Nigerians can see, touch, and use.
At the PPP Summit, the President articulated an unambiguous message: the Nigerian people are not asking for pledges — they are asking for results. They seek reliable electricity in their homes, accessible roads to their farmlands, functional healthcare facilities, and schools that open their doors every day without fail. That is precisely the vision being pursued and translated into reality. And the international community, having thoroughly assessed the progress made, has resolved to be a partner on that journey
Every concession signed, every dam commissioned, and every infrastructure milestone achieved represents a firm investment in Nigeria’s shared future. The world is choosing Nigeria because it recognises a nation serious about reform and delivery. Yet realising this vision demands more than government effort alone — it calls for unity, collective resolve, and the commitment of every Nigerian behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for a stronger, more prosperous nation. This is a moment that requires all hands on deck.

*Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, PhD is the Director General/CEO, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Ogun State Government has warned a senior police officer attached to the Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Enyinnaya Adiogu, to immediately stop what it described as a parallel investigation into an ongoing land grabbing case involving the World Mission Agency (WMA), owners of Living Faith Church Worldwide in Sango-Ota.

In a letter dated May 23, the Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, warned the officer against investigating allegations of criminal conspiracy, threat to life, and illegal possession of firearms reportedly lodged against the mission by one Ibrahim Gbenga Ibuoye.

The government said Ibuoye is currently facing prosecution before a Magistrates’ Court in Abeokuta over allegations bordering on forceful entry into another person’s land, forceful takeover of land, and the use of threats and violence in connection with the disputed property.

According to Ogungbade, the matter is already before a competent court, making any parallel police investigation improper and capable of undermining judicial proceedings.

“It is settled law that when a case is pending in court, no person must take any steps calculated to or capable of usurping the jurisdiction of the court,” the Attorney General stated.

He questioned why a defendant already standing trial since 2025 would suddenly turn himself into a complainant against those involved in the pending criminal matter.

The commissioner accused Ibuoye of disregarding the rule of law by approaching the Force Headquarters and presenting himself as a complainant after allegedly trespassing on land belonging to WMA — land which the government said is backed by valid ownership documents and approvals issued by the Ogun State Government.

Providing background to the dispute, Ogungbade explained that WMA reportedly acquired the land around 2001 from a family recognised as the rightful owner by the Ogun State High Court. The property was subsequently fenced by the organisation.

He alleged, however, that Ibuoye and another suspect unlawfully demolished the fence, forcefully occupied over 100 acres of the land, and carried out illegal sand mining activities that severely degraded the property.

The Ogun State Government consequently directed the police officer to terminate any ongoing parallel investigation relating to the dispute, withdraw all invitations extended to officials of WMA, and comply with existing directives from the Inspector General of Police against duplication of case files.

The state government also acknowledged the efforts of successive Inspectors General of Police in curbing abuse of police processes and discouraging parallel investigations in matters already before competent courts. It specifically commended the immediate past police leadership of Kayode Egbetokun and the current Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for their commitment to professionalism and efforts aimed at putting a stop to the kind of conduct complained about in the letter.

The government further warned that failure to comply with the directive could result in legal action against the officer.

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kwara state, Engineer Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu, yesterday pledged to turn around the state’s economy for the economic prosperity of the rural populace.

Kawu made the pledge in Ilorin on Sunday after the stakeholders of the party affirmed his candidature of the party for the 2027 election during the PDP primaries held in Ilorin.

He said, “We are coming back to restore hope, revive infrastructure, improve education, support our farmers, empower our youths and women, strengthen healthcare delivery, create economic opportunities, and return Kwara State to the path of security, growth, dignity and economic prosperity.

“The struggle ahead is greater than what we have passed through. The task before us is enormous.

“Our people desire a government that listens, a government that cares, and a government that works for everybody irrespective of political affiliation, religion or ethnicity.

“Together, with unity, determination, and the support of the people, we shall overcome”.

He thanked every leader, especially the former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, stakeholders, elders, youths woma and loyal members of the Peoples Democratic Party across the sixteen local governments of Kwara State for the confidence and trust reposed in him.

Kawu said, “This victory is not mine alone. It is a collective victory. It is a victory for every aspirant who, despite personal ambition and aspiration, invested resources, energy, time, and political capital in mobilising our people and strengthening our party across the state.

“Your sacrifices, consultations, maturity, and commitment to the survival and unity of our great party brought us to this defining moment. History will remember your patriotism, sportsmanship, and loyalty to the PDP family.

“Most importantly, this is a victory for the resilient people of Kwara State, Kwarans who have remained hopeful, patient, loyal, and committed to the dream of a better and more prosperous state. Your faith in the possibility of a greater Kwara has kept this movement alive”.

He also used the occasion to thank other aspirants, delegates, stakeholders, party faithful, INEC observers from Abuja, members of the press, and the entire people of the State.

The Mambilla hydroelectric power project is yet another monument to waste

Conceived in 1972 under the military administration of General Yakubu Gowon, the 3,050MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Project in Taraba State was earmarked as a veritable tool to tackle the country’s persistent power shortages and stimulate economic growth. But after more than five decades and almost a billion dollars expended on preparing feasibility studies, hiring consultants, and doing preliminary works, the project remains more of a paperwork. Plagued by corruption, mismanagement, legal disputes and other structural delays, the Mambilla hydroelectric power project has become another monument to waste for which Nigeria has become notorious.

A fortnight ago, a former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, was convicted of corruption, following which he was sentenced to a hefty 75 years in prison. Mamman was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 12-count charges bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds released for the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power plant projects to the tune of N33.8 billion. Although Mamman went underground before and after his conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja and refused to show up for the sentencing, he was eventually apprehended last week by the EFCC with the agency releasinghis mugshot in handcuff.

Incidentally, while the case was playing out in the court, Mamman had joined the Taraba State governorship race under the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. That gubernatorial dream may remain a dream. Meanwhile, in one of very rare instances, Mamman was sacked in 2021 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari after barely two years in office. But his conviction has again sparked conversations on why the power sector has not worked, and what accounts for the $5.8bn Mambilla failed project.

Indeed, Mambilla highlights critical issues of transparency, accountability, and governance deficits in the country’s public sector. It is in the mould of the abandoned $460 million Abuja CCTV camera project for which a Chinese loan was obtained, and the moribund Ajaokuta Steel project that has become a painful drain pipe. A complex of four dams and two underground stations, the Mambilla hydro project has over several decades enjoyed serial funds allocations from successive administrations but still has zero megawatts on the national grid.

After years of dilly-dallying, the project was formally awarded in 2003 under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. But since then, Mambilla has been enmeshed in serial problems, passing from one contractor to another with all sorts of disputes. Incidentally, Sudan, at about the same time, and even though at war, awarded and built 1,250 MW hydropower project in record five years. The Mambilla Power project was awarded to a local contractor named Sunrise Power Transmission and Procurement Company on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT), a company allegedly discovered later to be fronting for another foreign company.

However, apparently in a bid to undercut Sunrise that was not performing, the federal government decided to deal directly with Sinohydro to which fresh contracts for civil works were awarded. In response, Sunrise took Nigeria and Sinohydro Corporation Limited to the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) in Paris, France for contract breach. The process of settlement is still in progress, with millions of dollars to the bargain. So, Nigerians are in a long and perpetual wait for Mambilla to solve the agonising problem of darkness. Moreover, it is not even on the priority list of the current administration.

Given the monumental scandals that have emanated from this project, it is no surprise that anti-graft agencies have had to wade into some of the disputes. In January 2024, the EFCC arraigned former Minister of Power Olu Agunloye over the failed Hydropower project, accusing him of awarding contract to Sunrise Power without budgetary provision, presidential approval, or cash backing. A year later in 2025, the charges were amended to include forgery, gratification, and disobedience to lawful presidential directive. Agunloye has, of course, denied the allegations.

In a 2021 report, the World Bank had rated Nigeria as the poorest country in the world on power supply to citizens with 85 million people not connected to the grid and a loss of $26 billion annually. If anything, the situation in this critical sector has only worsened, with NISO now projecting a $29 billion loss going by its 2025 report.

 Lack of electricity has limited access to healthcare, education, and other opportunities for majority of Nigerians. Many small and medium scale businesses have been crippled due to the prohibitive cost of generating their own power. Even the big business ventures, particularly the manufacturing ones, are also feeling the biting effect of energy poverty with consequences stretching to every part of the economy. 

Despite the fact that we cannot grow our economy without sorting out this critical infrastructure, most of the people that have been saddled with the responsibility seem to care more about their pockets than the public good. It is therefore commendable that Mamman is being held accountable. But the Mambilla and power related corruption scandals are mere symbols of a culture of graft for which much of Nigeria’s public sector is known. What is shocking is that neither investigation, trial, nor conviction has deterred present and future corruption schemes. It is perhaps time to review the regime of punishment for public sector corruption in Nigeria.

By Okey Ikechukwu

Our people say that a toad which, facing an identity crisis, ventures into the air under the mistaken impression that it is a bird quickly falls back to the ground with a resounding thud; looking silly and ridiculous. A bat that mistakes itself for a bird and prances out during the day to join the frolicsome engagements of real birds will drop to the ground in helpless self-immolation; after a debilitating encounter with the full blast of daylight.

Our people also say that a cat is no a leopard, nor a different type of leopard. Yes, it has whiskers and belongs to the class of animals, like lions and tigers called the ‘cat family’. But it is a cat and nothing more. If its imagination plays a mean trick on it and, believing that it is a leopard, it marches off into the forest in that delusion, it will up as afternoon snack to the real owners of the forest.

So, think of Cubana Chief Priest who stepped forward to present himself as a potential representative of his people. He performed so lamentably in the party primaries that all he could mutter after he was worsted was “I regret trusting my community elders”. He later changed his story to a claim about having withdrawn earlier from the entire process. But the damage was done. The point made by the outcome stands.

He complained bitterly about how the money he gave out failed to deliver the ticket for him. He did not complain about any programmes, brilliant initiatives or new leadership templates his inability to clinch the ticket would now deny his people. He spared no thought for the impact of his profile and life choices on social morality and the young.

Today this Imo State Coordinator of the City Boys Movement, an impressive assembly of political n’ver-do-wells, has seen for himself what his people really think of him. This is a blessing, if he and Obinna his boss would summon the courage and humility to dwell on the experience. This political battering is his chance for a re-awakening. Let us hope that he does not miss this rare Divine Intervention and fail to wake up and learn how to use his social visibility and little wealth to influence his environment for the better.

“I’m a hustler”, he said after the political disaster that struck him. Hear him: “I don’t regret trying to contest for a position. My only regret was trusting the elders in the community. I know how much I gave them, but only 14 people voted for me in the primary”. What he failed ort ask himself is this: “Who the hell am I that anyone should vote for me?

He spoke of wanting to bring a cleaner and issue-based political participation driven by young Nigerians, when announced his political ambition earlier this year. But he never really got to meaningfully explain the issues he had in mind. The question now is this: “What has he learnt about the young people and even the elders he was talking about”? 

In particular, what does Obi Cubana, his Chief Priest and others in that thoroughly disreputable assembly of deluded individuals know about society in general the Igbo society and the core values of leadership in particular?

Our people say that “Onye aju na ebu anaghi aza ide ji uno” (the person who is swooning cannot be hailed as the pillar that holds the edifice). Our people also say: “Ugo na udene anaghi azo nri” (the eagle and the vulture do not meet at the same dining table). And it is common knowledge that no family or kindred sends out an offspring of doubtful value to represent it in the village square as “Onu na ekwulu Umunna” (the voice of the kindred).

Ndigbo have core values that make a clear distinction between the sublime and the ridiculous. What the City boys represent today is one of the most visible expressions of a new breed of “Igbo leaders by self-proclamation”, who would declare themselves “Obi of Lagos”, “Mayor-General of Ndigbo”, etc., because of some paltry wealth.

Can any of these characters say “He who brings kolanut brings life” at the beginning of an event and actually explain what it means? Knowing that Ndigboo do not bring a dead man back to life by bringing kolanut to him, can they then tell you how this statement makes sense? Do they know that the kolanut is not a snack, but a symbol of communion?

Ndigbo do not eat it without calling on The Giver of Life and the gods protection and guidance. This makes the presence of kolanut, first and foremost, an opportunity for prayers. And since prayers bring blessings and strengthen life, whoever brings it has brought an opportunity for the strengthening of life. Hence the prayer of the person blessing the kolanut: “He Who Lives above, the Giver of life, protect us”.

The kolanut ceremonies also emphasize the interdependence in every community and among all living things. That is why it is said: “May the river not dry up and may the fish not lack water to swim in. The river’s looks more beautiful because of the fish, while the life of the fish depends on the steady flow of the river. Ndigbo also pray thus while before eating the kolanut: “Elders shall live and the young shall live. Our harvest shall be rich and none shall pray for the misfortune of another, lest his farm be the only patch of earth without rain’, etc.

This prayer is the first event in every serious gathering of Ndigbo, showing that Ndigbo have always been an organized people, with a mature sense of community and social responsibility. What the Igbo traditional political system lacked in absolute monarchy is replaced by a republicanism that uses the council of elders, titled men, age-grade associations, etc., to arrive at community decisions endorsed by all.

The concept of “Igbo enwe eze”, which has been fueling the type of tomfoolery characterized by many rich young men simply means that no single feudal authority can visit tyranny on the people unchallenged. That is why it is said: “When the talisman begins to act so tough as to even try to intimidate its owner, then it is time for you to show it the wood from which it was carved”.

Igbo enwe eze does not mean disrespect for constituted authority. It simply means that the collective right of the people can always be invoked to remind anyone with tyrannical aspirations that a hero is always a people’s hero. That is also why Ndigbo say that “A masquerade that flogs its drummers and followers ceases to dance, because it walks alone”.

It is because the tradition Igbo concept of power and authority rest more on respect for the laws of the land that the true Igbo concept of success is always linked with respect for Omenani. The people, and the laws of the land, always determined the difference between right and wrong. That is also why Ndigbo say: “Asokalie eze anya ekpuchie nkata na iru wee gwalua ya okwu aru” (After long periods of deference to a bad ruler, you should cover your face with a basket and go tell him the truth to his face).

To walk up to misbehaving the community leader and tell him what he needs to hear, you must either be part of a select group sent to admonish the leader, or you are stepping forward as the messenger of the community – sent by the community. Once you are sent in this way, you no longer represent yourself; just as a man is presumed to have transcended to the spirit world once he is dressed up as a masquerade. The covering of the face upholds the dignity of the office of Eze and affirms that no one may insult the office in his capacity as a mere mortal. But this presumably mysterious being from the beyond, speaking for the gods and men (but using the voice of a man) may do so to any unworthy occupant of the position of leader.

It is against the background of the foregoing that Ndigbo make a distinction between heroes and charlatans. The concept of  That is why the concepts of ndi akalogeli, ofo ogeli, ndi ome k’ome etc. exist to contrast “ndi obata Osu’ with true genuine leaders and heroes.

The person who boldly display debauchery as leadership violates everything a kolanut ceremony recommends.  Such a charlatan may impress some ignorant and wayward people, or mislead those who are on the fringes of social and spiritual morality. The major trade mark of an Igbo charlatan is that most of what he does cannot lead to sustainable development, or a healthy communal, religious or Family life, if it is adopted by everyone.

He is a danger to social morality and the economic life of the people; because of his ‘Okpata otitaa’ approach to on life.  It is such charlatans who parrot proverbs like: “Ewu na eso onye bu igu”. This statement is true, but it applies only to goats and any other living thing that behaves like a goat. Such sayings were originally meant to warn people against thoughtless materialism and immorality as a philosophy of life. But today it is freely used to justify irresponsibility, unfaithfulness and every form of debauchery.

It was not the case that only the person who offers immediate material satisfaction deserved loyalty. Not in Igboland, where the cardinal communal philosophy says: “namadu abughi ewu”. The fact that this proverb like “The goat only follows the person carrying green leaved (food)” is now popular in shows that the dregs and never-do-wells are truly on the ascendant.  

Truth is: Ndigbo know the difference between heroes and charlatans. Because Ndigbo are represented and led, particularly in Abuja, by an emergent elite with wrong ideas about leadership and social responsibility, everyone is disconnected from real issues of group values and identity. That is also why there is hardly an ‘Igbo Position’ on any national issue today.

A curious high breed of questionable antecedents, who are committed to ensuring that the worst in the land stand forth as epitomizing the best, cannot be the Igbo destination. Let the fate of Cubana Chief Priest be an object lesson to many similarly led astray. The City boys should calmy sit down somewhere and recalibrate. They are really nobodies, masquerading as meaningful varies in a political chess game that does not need them at all