News From Nigeria
PRESS RELEASE
The New Year will be better and more glorious, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said.
He prayed for God’s guidance and affirmed that “with God all will be well”.
Mr Sanwo-Olu spoke at a New Year’s Day service at the State House Chapel, Marina. He was also at the mosque to join the Muslim prayers.
He prayed for Mr President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, urging Nigerians to support his bold moves to tackle Nigeria’s social and economic challenges.
The Governor said: “Lagos will continue to make progress. It shall be well with all citizens; 2026 will be a glorious year.”
He went on, “There will be political movements. I will continue to count my days; I have only one January first left in office. No position is permanent.
“Let’s continue to pray. We will never give up, no matter the challenges. Nigeria will be greater.”
Sanwo-Olu, at the mosque, urged workers to be more dedicated. He also prayed for Mr President, his family and all Nigerians.
At the service were senior government officials, junior staff of the State House and some ordinary citizens.
Dr Bukola Oluwagbemiga, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Life Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, preached at the service.
He spoke about reliance on God at all times, using Psalm 121 and John 10:27-30.
Dr Oluwagbemiga implored Governor Sanwo-Olu and all state officials to create a platform and opportunity for God to do his work.
In his sermon during the Muslim prayers, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Religious Affairs (Muslim), Dr Abdullahi Jebe, stressed the need for people to shun hypocrisy and work with one mind.
During the New Year services coordinated by Dr Jebe and the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Religion (Christian), The Very Rev. Bukola Adebiyi, prayers were also offered for Mr Governor, his family and the people of Lagos State. There were also prayers for Mr Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who was present and his family; the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary; the THEMES Plus Agenda; all civil servants and their families; a peaceful Nigeria and a greater Lagos.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
01 JANUARY 2026
The Alema of Warri, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, has asserted that all the demands of the Orodje in Council should be discountenanced as the said claims are unfounded in historical facts and law.
‘’The land where PPL 220 is situated belongs to Abigborodo Community’’
He also stated that Ajaji, Ugwo, Ajimele, Aji-Dore, Obotie and Irakpa are Itsekiri communities.
‘’The only existing communities known in Sapele from time immemorial are all Itsekiri communities. Sapele was never an Okpe Community. Rather it was Okpe people who came from Orerokpe to trade with the Itsekiris in Sapele Town. This position is further corroborated by the Intelligence Report of the colonial authority as far back as 1930 on the Ukpe Sobo Clan, wherein they listed all Okpe villages, sub-clans and communities. The notable Okpe villages listed in the Report of L. E. H Fellows on the Ukpe Sobo Clan were Amukpe, Elume, Oorerokpe and Gbukurusu which are all far away from Sapele’’
Uduaghan in a response to the protest by the Udogun Okpe (Orodje in Council) on the Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed Abigborodo Field in PPL 220 stated that the Udogun Okpe was never at any time during the colonial era in charge of the administration of the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve when the colonial authority wanted to create the said Forest Reserve.
‘’The Udogun Okpe in 1931 wrote to the said authority, clearly stating that they the Okpe people had no available land to form part of the constitution of the proposed Forest Reserve’’
Uduaghan while urging the public to visit www.abigborodocommunitydeltastate.ng for all the certified documents said at the time Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve was to be constituted, the representative of the Olu of Warri vide a letter dated 11th of July, 1932 wrote the colonial masters informing them that the said land used in constituting the Okpe Sobo Forest Reserve belongs to the Itsekiri Nation and therefore asked the colonial authority to cancel the constitution of the Okpe Sobo Forest Reserve.
‘’Despite the letter by the representative of the Olu of Warri asking the colonial authority to cancel the constitution of the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve, the colonial authority went ahead to constitute same’’
The Warri High Chief said at the time Forest Reserve was constituted by the colonial authority, Abigborodo indigenes and their tenants were still farming inside the constituted Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve, which resulted in the arrest of Abigborodo indigenes who were charged before the Magistrate Court at Sapele on the 27th day of March 1940 and presided by His Worship A. V. Scallon ESQ.
‘’ The Magistrate (Limited Powers) discharged and acquitted Abigborodo indigenes on the ground that Abigborodo Community are the owners of the said land and therefore had the right to farm on the said land’’
He disclosed that the then Head of Abigborodo, Alema Okonedo caused a letter/petition to be written to the Governor General against the inclusion of Abigborodo Community lands that traverse through Ugbekoko, Utonyatsere, Ogorode and hole in the creeks without the authority and consent of the Abigborodo Community.
‘’Consequent upon the petition written by Alema Okonedo, the colonial masters acknowledged the petition of Alema Okonedo and promised to look into the claims of Alema Okonedo’’
Uduaghan stated that upon the conclusion of investigation by the Conservator of Forest, Ubiaja Circle, who was directed by the Governor General to investigate the claims of Alema Okonedo, a Report was issued by the Governor General through the Office of the Secretary to the Government wherein the claims of Alema Okonedo were found to true and substantiated.
‘’It is my submission that when the claims of Alema Okonedo were found to be true and substantiated by the colonial authority, a sketch map was produced by the colonial authority showing the areas/land belonging to Abigborodo Community in the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve’’
As a follow up to the report by the colonial authority which found the claims of Alema Okonedo to be true and substantiated, Uduaghan said a memorandum was published by the colonial authority wherein the Ugbekoko areas belonging to Abigborodo community was recommended for de-reservation and excluded from the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve and be returned to the people of Abigborodo Community.
‘’As a follow up to the memorandum by the colonial authority, minutes of instruction from the Forest Department of Ubiaja to the conservator, South Central Circle, duly signed by C. A Walker, a proposal was made for the reconstitution of the Forest Reserve and how to carry out the excisions recommended in the memorandum’’
Sequel to the minute of instruction by the colonial authority, Uduaghan revealed that an order was made under the Forest Ordinance (CAP 75) known as the Western Forest Reserve, wherein Order 33 of 1933 was further revised and modified by revoking the first and second schedule thereto and substituted same with the Edict of 1952, wherein the size and boundaries of the excised and de-reserved land belonging to Abigborodo Community was clearly shown and described particularly.
‘’In 1996, the Delta State Government via its official Gazette further released additional 200 acres of land to the already existing enclave of Ugbekoko and Utonyatsere belonging to Abigborodo Community.
He called the Okpe people land grabbers.
‘’When land grabbers of Okpe extraction were encroaching on Abigborodo, Ugbekoko and Utonyatsere lands and selling them off to unsuspecting members of the public, as the defender and custodian of those lands belonging to Abigborodo Community under the over lordship of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 111, I caused a petition to be written to the Nigeria Police Force which investigated the said petition and found that there was probable cause that certain laws had been violated by some land grabbers of Okpe extraction and the police gave their findings vide a Police Investigation Report’’
He recalled how former Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa directed the Ministry of Lands, Delta State to investigate the claim of encroachment by the Okpe people on Abigborodo Community lands.
‘’The Ministry of Lands set up a three man committee which investigated Abigborodo Community claims and came out with a report substantiating the fact that Abigborodo Community Land of Ugbekoko and Utonyatsere were indeed encroached upon by Okpe Community’’
He said the judicial enquiry set up to look into the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve came up with a white paper further buttressing that Ugbekoko, Utonyatsere and all adjacent lands in the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve belong to Abigborodo Community.
‘’It is not stated anywhere in the Judicial Panel of Enquiry’s Report issued by the Delta State Government with regards to Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve that Abigborodo Community is separated from the said Reserve by the natural boundary of Hole in the Creek (Benin River). Abigborodo Township is in Warri North Local Government. However, Abigborodo Community land stretches and traverses into Sapele Local Government Area which has been substantiated by various documents from the colonial records’’
He emphasized the development effort of former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan.
‘’The claim of the Udogun Okpe of magnanimously allowing the Former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan to construct a bridge to link Abigborodo with Sapele is offensive and it shows that the Udogun Okpe is not conversant with the with the provisions of the Land Use Act’’
Uduaghan who is the administrator of Abigborodo, Ugbekoko and Utonyatsere, said in Suit No. 5/23/74 Washi Ogodo & Sapele Okpe Communal Land trustees & 2 ORS, the court held that there is nothing like Sapele Okpe Community Lands.
‘’The erroneous belief of the Udogun Okpe and by extension the Okpe people that because Abigborodo’s Community land and some Itsekiri land are in Sapele Local Government, Okpe Kingdom owns such land is huge fallacy. Local Government Areas are political creations of Government for administrative convenience and does not in any way confer ownership of the land under reference on Okpe people. Sapele is largely Itsekiri owned and this has been shown by various documents from colonial records available at the National Archives, Ibadan’’
He said the area serving as host to the Abigborodo Field in PPL 220 was commissioned by Chevron Nigeria Limited
‘’It was Chevon Nigeria Limited that named the said Abigborodo Field in PPL 220, having done their investigations and found out that Abigborodo Community are the true owners of the said land and consequently recognized Abigborodo Community as the host community’’
‘’Abigborodo Community is a peaceful community and is ready to make sure that the operations of Navante Exploration and Production Limited are seamless and without issues’’ he added.
The grandiosity of Nigerians when they discuss events and situations can be very funny. If the leaders use this kind of creativity in proffering solutions, we may be able to solve some of the problems that plague Nigeria perennially.
There seems to be a sublime affectation for new lingos when the system is being set to punish Nigerians. It is a kind of Orwellian language.
Recently, there was no electricity throughout the country. The usual culprit and government spoke; people came out to tell us the power failure was due to the collapse of the National grid. Does it really matter what is collapsing? This is just an attempt by some government bureaucrats to sound intelligent.
Intelligence is becoming a borrowed commodity from the IMF or World Bank. What does it mean when you tell Nigerians that the national grid collapsed? Is that supposed to be a reassurance, or it is said to give the assurance that they know something about the anemic electricity, and we should get used to the darkness. This is a language that is vague and beckons the consumer to stop complaining. Does that statement mean anything to Nigerians who pay bills and don’t see the electricity they paid for? If they see it, it comes with an irregular voltage that destroys their newly purchased appliances. Just tell or stay quiet like in the past.
We have no national grid. Do these people know how silly their language sounds? Nigeria produces less than 10,000 megawatts of electricity for a population of 200 million people. It is an insult to call this low output a national grid. What is so national about using a generator to supply electricity to 200 million people? It is simple mathematics. If you calculate this to the minute, it should not surprise you that every Nigerian will receive electricity for the duration of the blink of an eye. They are paying for total darkness, and someone is telling them they have an electricity grid.
If you can call the 10,000-megawatt national grid collapsed, it means you don’t have the mind set to solve the electricity problem in Nigeria.
To put it in perspective is to understand the basic fact that the electrical output of Nigeria is pre-industrial. Without acknowledging this fact, we will never find solutions as every mediocre will come and confuse Nigeria with lingos that make them sound important.
It is very shameful for those in the know to always use grandiose language to obfuscate the real issues.
South Africa with a population of sixty million produces about 200,000 megawatts of electricity daily. Nigeria produces less than 10,000 megawatts. Why South Africa makes it easy to lift the poor from poverty, Nigeria is trying to tax the poor into poverty.
The architects of the new tax plan saw the poor as rich because they could afford a generator.
A non-existent subsidy was removed, and the price of fuel went through the roof. Now the government says they are rich. What will they get in return for this tax extraction? Why do successive Nigerian governments always think the best way to develop Nigeria is to slap the poor into poverty? What are the avenues for upward mobility when youth corps members are suddenly seen as rich taxpayers? Do these people know how difficult it is to start a business in Nigeria?
After all the rigmarole from Abuja to my village, I cannot get a government certificate without a-shake down from government bureaucrats and area boys. The government that is so unfriendly to business wants to tax my non-existing businesses. Are these people in their right state of mind? Why do they think that taxing the poor is their best revenue plan? A plan like this can only come from a group of people who have no inkling of what Nigerians are going through. People can’t eat and the government is asking them to share their meager rations with potbellied people in Abuja.
Teach the people how to fish, then you can share in their harvest. If an individual does what the government is doing to Nigerians, it will be called robbery, and the individual will be in prison. When the government taxes people, there is a reciprocal exchange. What is being done in Nigeria does not represent fair exchange.
Nigerians have never gotten anything good from their government except individual wealth that is doled out in Abuja for the selected few.
The question is, will Nigerians have a good electricity supply? NO. Will they have security of persons and properties? No. Will they have improved health care? NO. Will there be good roads? No. Will they have good schools and good education? No.
Taxation is not good governance. A policy like this should never be rushed without adequate studies. Once again, our legislators have let us down. They have never shown the people the reason they were elected and to be re-elected. They are not playing their roles as the watchdog and representatives of the people. Anyone who voted for this tax bill deserves to lose their positions as Senators and Members of the House of Representatives.
We are not in a military regime anymore. Nigerians must start learning how to exercise their franchise. This taxation issue must be litigated at the ballot box. The members of the National Assembly have shown by their assent that they don’t represent the people.
In a normal democracy, taxation without representation should never be tolerated. They must be voted out of office. We have a responsibility and duty to use our voting power to fight unjust laws. Taxation without representation is unjust. Those voted into power will never respect the citizens until the citizens learn to punish errant politicians by voting them out of office. This responsibility is sacred and must be exercised with diligence.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS