News From Nigeria
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described the death of renowned journalist and one of the founders of Newswatch Magazine, Yakubu Mohammed, as a colossal loss to the media industry in Nigeria.
Yakubu Mohammed, a one-time pro-chancellor and chancellor of the Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University, died on Tuesday at the age of 75. He was a well-celebrated journalist, author, columnist, and publisher.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, said the death of the renowned journalist is painful and heartbreaking. He said the rich experience and knowledge of Yakubu Mohammed will be sorely missed.
He said: “The death of former Managing Editor of Newswatch and ex-Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Newswatch Communications Limited, Yakubu Mohammed, is a great loss to journalism and the media industry in Nigeria, his family and friends. The journalism icon, who was a role model to many media practitioners in Nigeria, would be greatly missed.
“Yakubu Mohammed was a bold, courageous and uncompromising journalist, editor, columnist and publisher who spent his lifetime to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of journalism in Nigeria.
“He was a role model to many journalists in Nigeria, having nurtured and provided platforms for media practitioners who have become leading voices in the noble profession and leaders in different sectors.
“On behalf of the people and government of Lagos State, I sympathise with Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, the Mohammed family and the people of Ologba in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State over the demise of the veteran journalist.
“I also commiserate with the deceased’s friends, colleagues, and the media industry in Nigeria over the passing of the accomplished journalist. I pray that God will grant Yakubu Mohammed eternal rest and those he left behind the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
14 JANUARY 2025
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, wishes to alert the public of planned campaigns of calumny by politicians and groups having vested interests in suspects being investigated or facing prosecution by the Commission.
A motley crowd of paid jobbers comprising politicians , academics, so-called civil society activists and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora have been recruited by these disgruntled elements to orchestrate campaigns of calumny through sponsored media attacks targeting the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede and the institution itself with phantom allegations of political bias in the execution of the Commission’s mandate.
Their objective is to befuddle the works of the Commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the Commission into a timid mode, where it will be afraid to investigate opposition politicians for fear of being labelled as partisan.
This campaign is likely to intensify as the political space becomes charged, in the months leading to the 2027 general election.
The Commission wishes to put those recruited into this ignoble enterprise on notice that their activities are under close watch, and EFCC will not tolerate any attempt to distract it from the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria.
The EFCC reiterates its non-political stance in all its activities. Facts on the ground clearly show that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the Commission. As a matter of fact, several strong members of the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or being investigated by the Commission.
It is needful that Nigerians appreciate the fact that the Commission is keeping faith with its Establishment Act in all its operations. Commentaries about presumption of innocence of a defendant in court are in line with the provisions of the Constitution and not intended as defence of any individual or group. Additionally, the Commission has no alliance or working relationship with any political party. All these facts are unassailable.
The EFCC will not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures of politically exposed persons being investigated for one alleged corruption case or the other. Therefore, the Commission reiterates its commitment to justice, without fear or favour, in the fulfilment of its mandate.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
January 7, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
SANWO-OLU CONGRATULATES OGUN DEPUTY GOVERNOR, SALAKO-OYEDELE AT 60
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who clocked the age of 60 years on Thursday.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a congratulatory message issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, praised Engr Salako-Oyedele’s commitment to the growth and development of Ogun State.
He also praised the deputy governor for being a trustworthy, committed, hardworking and dependable partner to the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, saying the cordial relationship between the two of them has contributed positively to the success of their administration.
Governor Sanwo-Olu further described Engr. Salako-Oyedele as a seasoned and principled technocrat, administrator and public servant who has used her position as deputy governor to bring about positive change to Ogun State and Nigeria at large.
He said: “On behalf of my wife, Ibijoke, the people and government of Lagos State, I wish Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, many happy returns as she celebrates her 60th birthday today.
“Engr. Salako-Oyedele is worth celebrating at 60 for her remarkable contributions to humanity and the society. She has distinguished herself as a seasoned and principled technocrat and administrator in the private and public sectors for over three decades.
“As Engr. Salako-Oyedele celebrates her 60th birthday today, I pray that God will increase her in good health to enable her to render more service to humanity, Ogun State and Nigeria.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER, MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
08 JANUARY 2025
PRESS RELEASE
The Governor of Lagos State and Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on his 63rd birthday celebration.
The Governor described the Senate President as an amazing personality whose life has remained a shining example of service, strength and uncommon leadership in public office.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, said Senator Akpabio’s leadership continues to exemplify vision, passion, courage and unwavering dedication to national growth and development.
The Governor also praised Senator Akpabio’s uncommon transformation and remarkable contribution to the development of his home State, Akwa Ibom, and Nigeria at large as a Commissioner, Governor, federal lawmaker and now Senate President.
He said: “On behalf of my wife, family, the government and the people of Lagos State, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the occasion of his 63rd birthday.
“Senator Akpabio, as an amazing personality and transformational leader, has committed himself to serving his state, Akwa Ibom, and beloved country, Nigeria, passionately. He has shown remarkable dedication to the advancement of nation building.
“He has recorded significant strides in his public service to impact his generation positively. As the leader of the legislative arm of government, he has contributed immensely to the robust relationship between the executive and legislature, as well as the success of the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in Nigeria.
“The Senate President has also contributed positively to his constituency, the Senate and Nigeria in general, through qualitative representation, laudable intervention and legislative business.
“On this momentous day, I join Senator Godswill Akpabio’s family, friends, and associates in conveying best wishes for a joyous 63rd birthday celebration. I pray that the Almighty God will bless him with good health as he continues his dedicated service to our beloved nation.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
09 DECEMBER, 2025
OKPE LEADERS OPPOSE DELTA MONARCH
Top Okpe leaders on Sunday kicked against the narrative of Okpe as Urhobo, listing the errors in Orodje’s recent declaration.
‘’At its meeting on November 15, 2025, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Okpe Union (Worldwide) exhaustively discussed Orodje’s declaration. Relying on historical facts in debunking the grave errors in the Orodje’s declaration, the union provided the evolution of the Orodje’s disturbing flip-flop of policy pronouncements, a flip-flop which falsifies Okpe History and exposes Orhue l as an enemy of the Okpe Kingdom whose national interests he swore to promote and defend when he was crown as the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom on July 29, 2006’’.
In the response to the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom by the National Executive Council of the Okpe Union (Worldwide), the union narrated how His Royal Majesty began to move away from his role as the chief promoter and defender of Okpe Identity in favour of his personal aggrandizement.
‘’He cautioned the then NEC of the Okpe Union (Worldwide) to stop the agitation for the recognition of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality, because, according to him, the advocacy will diminish his chances of becoming the Chairman of the Delta State Traditional Rulers’ Council. That notwithstanding, the Orodje was trying to walk on both sides of the street at the same time by internally espousing Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality while externally he was collaborating with the anti-Okpe Identity forces to undermine the internal cohesion of the Okpe Nation’’
The union accused Orodje of sacrificing Okpe national interest for a pot of Ukodo prepared by his political masters ahead of the 2027 elections.
‘’This is political correctness gone awry. The Okpe Union, and indeed all sons and daughters of Okpeland, are greatly distressed by the video of HRM Orhue l making rounds about our identity. As proud children of Okpe, we have access to several literatures and ancestral information about our origin which has never been disputed by the Orodje who is the traditional ruler as at today. Perhaps he is in possession of new facts and documents which have altered our ancestry. The time to produce it is now. It is highly regrettable that our revered Traditional ruler would grant such weighty interviews about the core of our existence without presenting facts and references’’.
The union denounced Orodje’s declaration, which undermines the rich cultural heritage and dignity of the Okpe people.
‘’As the mouth-piece of the Okpe Nation, the Okpe Union rejects the Orodje’s de-marketing of our ethnic nationality and asserts our pride in our identity, culture, and sovereignty. While we sympathize with various political actors who in a bid to score political mileage have been manipulating ethnic boundaries for political gains, we cannot comprehend how the custodian of our rites and traditions will join the fray. Several monarchs have betrayed their respective countries. Why did Orodje shift from his strong position as a promoter of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality that he brilliantly articulated on September 1, 2007, to become a shameless apologist for Urhobo ethnic nationality? Historians will compare the declaration of Orhue l and the dictatorship of Esezi l, to determine which of the two is more injurious to the Okpe Nation’’.
The union called on members of the Okpe Union (Worldwide), and indeed all Okpe sons and daughters to remain united under the umbrella of the Okpe Union in the continued advocacy for the recognition of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality.
‘’The struggle is going to be long and difficult, but the redemption of the Okpe Nation is worth the battle. A kingdom exists because there was a Nation that produced it. Thus, a king or an Orodje cannot be superior to the Nation that birthed it. This is particularly true of the Okpe Kingdom where the Okpe Nation congregates to elect one of its male citizens as the Orodje via a democratic electoral process. The sovereignty of an Orodje does not grant him an absolute or dictatorial power or authority, but is derived from the results of the electoral process on behalf of the Okpe Nation. When the four princely brothers, our ancestors – Orhue, Orhoro, Evbreke, and Esezi – decided to establish the Okpe Kingdom, they did so from the bowel of the Okpe Nation. Thanks to the Okpe Union, the Okpe Kingdom in the modern era was resuscitated in 1945 after an interregnum of 166 years. During this period, there were no Orodjes because there was no kingdom, but the Okpe Nation continued to exist and was represented by power brokers in several Okpe communities that exercised independence and sovereignty. It is therefore our historical and sacred responsibility, as members of the Okpe Union, to ensure that the Okpe monarchy remains a symbol of unity and strength of the Okpe Nation, and not to degenerate into anarchy and dictatorship.
The statement signed by Prof. O. Igho Natufe, President General, Okpe Union (Worldwide), Barrister Kingsley Ehensiri Akpederin, General Secretary, Okpe Union (Worldwide) and Barrister Victor Oruno, National Publicity Secretary, Okpe Union (Worldwide) recalled a study initiated and financed by HRM Orhue l, where Udogun Okpe stated emphatically that “Okpe is indubitably known to be a distinct and autonomous Kingdom, an ethnic entity from its beginning.
‘’The people and their language are distinct and are named after their progenitor, Okpe, whose four sons founded the present day Okpe Kingdom. But externally, simultaneously, the Orodje’s emissaries, mostly Palace Chiefs, continued their anti-Okpe Identity narratives by their false claim that “Okpe is Urhobo”. The Orodje’s declaration that “Okpe is a dialect of Urhobo” lends credence to the statements of his emissaries that “Okpe is Urhobo”. From all available historical sources, Okpe is a distinct language from the Urhobo language. The Orodje’s declaration is not only a blatant distortion of Okpe History, but a shameless public denial of Okpe Identity. History will Judge if this seismic shift was influenced by the Orodje’s personal interest or by Okpe national interest’’.
On November 5, 2025, an undated video of HRM Orhue l, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, appeared on several Okpe platforms, as well as on some non-Okpe platforms. In the video Orhue l categorically declared that “Okpe is a dialect of the Urhobo” and therefore not a distinct ethnic nationality. This declaration injected another level of schism between the Okpe Union and HRM Orhue l. We consider this declaration a falsity by a Monarch who is supposed to know the truth.
The Union highlighted the three main migratory waves from Benin Kingdom to the present territory of Delta Central Senatorial District in the Ogiso period of Benin Monarchy.
‘The first was in the 1170s under the reign of the 1st Oba of Benin, Oba Oronmiyan (1170 – 1200 AD) that saw the settlement of a group known as “Usobo” (Urhobo) in Ughelli and other villages. The second wave was the last Usobo migration that settled in contemporary Abraka in the 1370s, under the reign of the 10th Oba of Benin, Oba Ogbeka (1370 – 1400 AD). The migration of Okpe from Benin Kingdom occurred during the reign of the 16th Oba of Benin, Oba Ozolua (1483 – 1504 AD). Oba Ozolua conquered several territories, including Ijebu Ode, Ondo, and towns in contemporary Edo State. For his unprecedented military conquests in Benin History, he earned the appellation “Ozolua, n’ ibaromi” meaning “Ozolua the Conqueror”. He had several sons, including Prince Eze of Aboh, and Prince Igboze that migrated to contemporary Delta Central Senatorial District in 1550, and whose son, Prince Okpe had four princely sons: Orhue, Orhoro, Evbreke, and Esezi. They resided individually and collectively in several villages, moving from Olomu to Okperikpere (Okpe Isoko) and through contemporary Ozoro en-route to Orerokpe. It is instructive to note that, when the Four Princely Brothers, our forefathers founded the Okpe Kingdom with its headquarters in Orerokpe, it was established as an independent ethnic nationality and not as a clan or an appendage of any other ethnic nationality. This historical fact underlines the distinct ethnic nationality of the Okpe of Delta State which was extinguished by the British Colonial Office’’.
For purely its administrative convenience, the Union said the British Colonial Office fused diverse ethnic nationalities into one.
‘’This British policy gave rise to the falsity of classifying Okpe as a clan of Urhobo. Most contemporary Okpe were born and raised in this falsity.
‘’By administering the Okpe under the Urhobo umbrella, the British set in motion a process that led to the gradual but systematic attempt to deny Okpe ethnicity which was erroneously subsumed under the Urhobo. Over time, this grave error of British colonialism assumed a “truth” of its own as the outside world and several Okpe began to refer to the Okpe as “Urhobo.” This falsity was inherited by post-colonial Nigerian governments. A similar fate befell the Isoko of “Eastern Urhobo.” However, unlike the Okpe, their western counterpart, the Isokos were able to extricate themselves from the Urhobo appellation and restored their independence as a distinct ethnic nationality. Okpe and Urhobo do not share a common ancestry, or a common language. The Urhobo argument that Okpe is “Urhobo” is anchored on the concept of transferred colonialism from British rule to Urhobo rule in post-colonial Nigeria. This diabolical plot is facilitated by internal fifth columnists that, in most cases, have an Urhobo parent and therefore posit that “Okpe is Urhobo”.
The Union also underscored a growing realization among leading Okpe personalities to follow the Isoko example.
‘’Two subjective factors seem to conspire against this legitimate proposition. First, the Urhobo argument is that Okpe will be weakening the Urhobo nation if they emulate Isoko. Second, some Okpe, after being assimilated into the Urhobo fabric as a consequence of flawed colonial policy, seem conditioned to accept Urhobo as their nationality. Both viewpoints are based on weak and false argumentations. To endorse either is to condone the denial of Okpe nationality. And to suggest that by upholding their nationality the Okpe will weaken the Urhobo nation, we are invited to accept the lie that “Okpe is Urhobo”. On the contrary, the extrication of Okpe from Urhobo will strengthen the independence of both ethnic nationalities. They each need to re-define their respective identities’’.
The union said the uniqueness of the Okpe Nation was that each Okpe national is a descendant of one or two of the four ruling houses of the Okpe Kingdom, as depicted in the genealogy of the Okpe people: Orhue, Orhoro, Evbreke, and Esezi.
‘’Thus, the Okpe ethnicity satisfies all the properties of statehood and nationality as the nationals share the same common ancestry, the same language, culture, and traditions. The Okpe Kingdom has a clearly defined territory under a single monarchy and a permanent population of Okpe ethnicity. In fact, Okpe is one of the few ethnic nationalities in Nigeria that possess these clearly defined properties. The others are, inter alia, in alphabetical order, Benin, Nupe, and Itsekiri, etc’.
Major General Felix Mujakperuo (RTD) was crown as HRM Orhue l, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom on July 29, 2006; after a 2-year interregnum. He immediately positioned himself as the chief advocate of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality. Not only did he and several Okpe chiefs participate actively in the deliberations of the 1st Okpe Voice World Conference held in Sapele, October 17 – 18, 2006, he hosted a delegation of Okpe leaders drawn from the Okpe Union Nigeria, the Okpe Union of North America (OUNA), and the Okpe Union UK, under the auspices of the OKPE VOICE, at the Palace, on October 20, 2006, to review and approve the resolutions and communiqué of the Conference. The communiqué included, the recognition of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality, the establishment of an all Okpe federal constituency, the teaching of Okpe language in all primary and secondary schools in Okpe Nation, etc.
HRM Orhue l delivered a powerful landmark address entitled Tradition and Governance in the Okpe Kingdom: A Keynote Address, on September 1, 2007 AT THE 3RD ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE OKPE UNION OF NORTH AMERICA HELD AT MARRIOTT HOTEL, COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND, USA AUGUST 31 – SEPTEMBER 03, 2007. This was a defining moment in the struggle for the recognition of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality.
The Orodje succinctly declared: “Okpe is a unique ethnic nationality. It has distinctive roots in ancient history, tradition, culture, customs and language.”
He added: “Our people are rooted in migration from the Bini Kingdom. This historical experience is similar to most other ethnic nationalities of the Western Niger Delta. Of all these nationalities however, Okpe History, language, tradition, and culture are closer to those of Bini which form part of the Edo group of languages”.
Orhue l endorsed the conclusions of R. E. Bradbury and Rev. Dr. Charles E. Osume, (The Okpe People, 2006 edition), about the origin of the Okpe, he classified Okpe as “a unique ethnic nationality” with “distinctive roots in ancient history, tradition, culture, customs and language” irrespective of its similarity “to most other ethnic nationalities of the Western Niger Delta”.
Regarding the wrongful excision of Okpe territory from the Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue l was very categorical in expressing the position of the Okpe on this issue. He averred: “Let me also mention briefly that although the Okpe Kingdom covers the two local government areas of Sapele and Okpe, our people and communities are located in towns and villages presently and wrongly included in some neighbouring local government areas, for example, Ohorhe in Uvwie Local Government”.
In the keynote address, HRM Orhue l positioned himself as the chief promoter and defender of Okpe national interest. He subsequently established an Udogun Okpe Education Committee to liaise with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to ensure the recognition of Okpe Language as a teaching subject in Okpe Nation.
Wike-Backed PDP Expels Makinde, Mohammed, Lawal, George, Others
It also approved the dissolution of the State Executive Committees in Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States. The Edo State Exco, led by Nosa Ogieva, was, however, affirmed.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has expelled Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.
It also expelled the party’s former Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara; former National Vice Chairman, Chief Bode George; and the newly elected National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
It also approved the dissolution of the State Executive Committees in Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States. The Edo State Exco, led by Nosa Ogieva, was, however, affirmed.
These decisions were taken at the PDP group’s NEC meeting held on Tuesday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Its National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, read the communiqué of the NEC meeting, which stated in part:
“NEC approved the expulsion of the following: Adolphus Wabara, Olabode George, Ben Obi, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, Bala Mohammed, Oluseyi Makinde, Dauda Lawal, Taofiq Arapaja, Setonji Koshoedo, Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, Woyengikuro Daniel, Mohammed Kadade Suleiman, Emmanuel Ogidi, Sumaila Adamu Burga, Umar Sani, Udom Emmanuel, and Emmanuel Enorden,” he said.
“These people have been expelled from our party based on anti-party activities, disobeying of court judgements and other (acts) that cause disaffection in the party.”
He assured party faithful and stakeholders that the decision to expel the members was to stabilise the PDP, insisting that the party would not tolerate any form of impunity or indiscipline within its fold.
The pro-Wike PDP Acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, who presented the memo recommending the expulsions, said the affected party leaders flagrantly disregarded court judgments, thereby bringing the party into disrepute.
This decision followed last Saturday’s PDP national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, where Wike and ten others, including former governors, serving lawmakers, and key party figures were suspended over alleged anti-party activities.
The Ibadan convention, convened by the other faction of the party, accused Wike’s bloc of attempting to “destabilise the party structure” ahead of a planned nationwide reorganisation.
Earlier on Tuesday, both groups arrived at the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, to hold parallel NEC and Board of Trustees meetings.
The clash triggered a chaotic scene, as security operatives struggled to separate supporters from both camps, resulting in heated arguments, pushing, and an eventual shutdown of parts of the secretariat before the meetings proceeded separately.
COURTESY: CHANNELS TELEVISION
PRESS RELEASE
The Governor of Lagos, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday sought the support of investors to make the approved Lekki–Epe International Airport, a reality.
He said the Lagos State Government is committed to partnering with the Federal Government and its agencies, as well as investors, in building a stronger, safer, more competitive aviation industry for Nigeria.
The Lekki-Epe International airport is an initiative of the Lagos State Government.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke during the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) National Aviation Conference held at Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was attended by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Governors Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Babagana Zulum (Borno) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), represented by his deputy, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele; and Board Chairman of FAAN, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, among others.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State will work hand-in-hand with all federal agencies to ensure that the Lekki–Epe International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) become models of what is possible when federal and sub-national governments work in the same direction.
He said: “The Federal Government has granted approval to Lagos State to build a new international airport in the Ibeju–Lekki axis as a public-private partnership project.
“The airport is designed as a Code F-compliant facility, capable of handling the Airbus A380 and other wide-body aircraft, and is planned to sit on about 3,500 hectares of land, roughly 10 kilometres from the Lekki Free Trade Zone. The master plan provides for an initial capacity of five million passengers annually, with modular expansion as demand grows.
“Lekki–Epe International Airport is not a vanity project. It is a strategic response to decongesting MMIA and building resilience; positioning Lagos as West Africa’s preferred hub; unlocking new opportunities in MRO, training and aviation services; and supporting the Lekki industrial corridor, which is already home to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Free Trade Zone, the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, and an emerging industrial and residential city.
“We are committed to working hand-in-hand with FAAN, NCAA and all federal agencies to ensure that the Lekki–Epe International Airport – and indeed MMIA – become models of what is possible when federal and sub-national governments pull in the same direction.
“Here in Lagos, together with the Federal Government and our partners, we are determined to create a future in which Nigerian aviation is safe, modern, competitive and inclusive – a future in which our airports are not bottlenecks, but bridges to opportunity,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also reiterated his administration’s commitment to creating an integrated mobility ecosystem in which rail, road, water and air transport are seamlessly connected in Lagos State.
He said his government over the last few years has made historic progress with the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line, running from Marina to Mile 2, and the Red Line, linking Agbado to Oyingbo, adding that it has also signed an MoU and unveiled plans for the Green Line, a 68-kilometre rail corridor from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
“We are building an integrated, multi-modal transport backbone designed to move more than 20 million residents and the millions who come to do business with us,” he said.
Also speaking during the conference, Governors Uzodinma, Zulum and Abiodun highlighted aviation as a driver of economic growth, showcasing new airports, integrated transport systems, and investment opportunities across Imo, Borno and Ogun states.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
17 NOVEMBER 2025
VIBROFLOTATION AND GEOTECHNICAL, PRISONERS CARE, OTHERS EULOGIZE ELSIE AJAYI IKOLI AS DIGNITARIES GATHER IN LAGOS
OUR RELIGIOUS ALBATROSS BY DR AUSTIN ORETTE
If we aspire to be a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society, we have to remove religion from the centrality of our politics. We must decentralize governance.
We have too many religious holidays and none of the religions is indigenous. Religion should have no place in our public lives.
The minds of our people have been seriously poisoned and corroded by religion. If we want to change our situation, we have to change the way we think. How can we think when the minds of the majority of our people have been corroded by religion?
What is happening in Nigeria is akin to mass psychosis. How do we extricate our nation from this? I am tempted to say let us pray. There goes my brain. Religion short circuits any thought process and leads to arrested development. What is the point of thinking when God is in charge? This leads to fatalism that is prevalent in Nigeria.
The present way and verve which Nigeria embraces religion is destructive to a society that is struggling to render service to its people in a pluralistic society. If Religion is such a good thing, the benefits will have been everywhere by now and the colonizers will never give it to us for free.
In order to create docility, they forced the Chinese to consume the real opium which was medicinal in China at that time. The Chinese leaders saw the harm it was doing to the people and they picked up arms. This led to the Opium wars that led to the loss of Hong Kong and Macao.
Africa had no opium and the colonizers discovered religion could be more addictive than opium and they cultivated it as it was cheaper than the real opium.
Docility has always been the endpoint of slavery and colonialism. Nigerians are more docile and self-destructive than any group of people I know. They worship and nurture those who steal and vandalize their commonwealth and without a blink lynch a person who steals a loaf of bread to ward off starvation. This level of cognitive dissonance is only seen amongst drug addicts.
When I hear of foreign aid, I squirm at the thought of adding foreign priests and pastors to these orgies of abuse of Africans.
The most religious geographies in Nigeria are the most violent and destructive to the body politics of Nigeria. Religion is not about love. It is about power. Since rulers around the world adopted religion to fortify their legitimacy, religion has always been a tool of power.
Every religion started with the founder having some private revelation. These revelations were not corroborated by a third party or done in the glare of the public. Someone said he saw God and we believed him. The king believed him and the king adopted the religion and the king became God and no one can criticize the king because the king is God.
In the prescientific world of yore, anything could be a miracle. Most early religious people directed their ire at the rulers. The wily rulers simply adopted the religion and usurped God’s power. The conundrum I continue to find is that none of the so-called founders actually set out to start a religion. These religions started many years after they were dead.
Moses criticized pharaoh and Jesus condemned the High Priests who were working in tandem with the Roman government in the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.
In today’s world, the Pope who is preaching Jesus will be on the side of Rome. Mohammad was not loved by the rulers of his time. Early prophets told the truth. Nathan told David about his lust. Nigerian prophets of today would collect their tithes and personally get rid of Uriah.
Why should the king bother with such little people like Uriah? Every great prophet was anti-establishment. The prophets of today, especially in Nigeria are the establishment. Whatever they say is not of God but from their selfish desires to covet what belongs to others. This is why religion is at the root of all corruption in Nigeria.
For Nigeria to be whole, we must excise religion from all our public interaction. Those who want sharia should find another country.
Nigeria is an African Country. It has no relationship with Saudi Arabia. Any organization that condones the killing of Nigerians like those being ministered to by the likes of Gumi should be outlawed.
Our aspiration is to run a country with objective scientific principles that are objective and verifiable. Any religious gobbledygook must be rejected.
Religion has not developed in any country in the world. The poorest nations in the World are overwhelmingly religious. In Bangladesh, the average religious holiday is about 2 weeks.
The two regions that have religious extremism in Nigeria are the North and the South-East. If there is goodness in religion, we will see it in these regions.
What do we see? In the South East, we see violence, kidnappings, ritual killings and fake manufacturing of drinks and drugs that the good Christians there produced for their neighbors.
Every morning in Aba, Onitsha and the environs, the good Christians wake up early to prepare a poison that will be unknowingly consumed by their neighbors for a fee. Did Jesus teach that? In the North, violence, human trafficking, child abuse, child marriages and religious killings, raping and kidnappings that numbs the mind. This is what religion breeds.
Every Friday morning in Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto, the “good” Muslims lay their praying mats on the road oblivious to traffic and start praying. The road is blocked and others cannot engage in their activities of daily living. At the end, they rise up and sacrifice Deborah Samson to their Allah. Any person who challenges this barbaric behavior is subjected to vigilante justice. Is this what Mohammed taught them? Jesus actually referred to this kind of people as the Pharisees. Why do I have to know you are praying? Why is it necessary to obstruct my movement because you are praying? This is nothing but an exercise of power.
Religion is the devil but the priest has been able to convince their gullible and ignorant followers that the opposite is true. Most of the religionists in Nigeria will say they love God but will not blink as they kill their fellow man in the name of God.
From what is happening in Nigeria, it will be difficult for any of these religious gooks to convince me that they are not working for the devil. At times like this, I am beginning to think of Tom Payne, my Idol. If God is capable of these atrocities, then the devil has nothing else to do. The devil should join the Church or mosque and do what the devil does best: Destruction.
What I try to emphasize in my writing is that at this time in our history, we have to learn to live together as black people. If we aspire to become the hope of the Black World, we must learn to have allegiance to each other. It is difficult to do so now because the colonizers left their Trojan horses of religion which we have fashioned into Molotov cocktails to haul at each other every now and then.
We must learn to love each other. We don’t have to like each other but we can develop the capacity to evolve a society where our laws prevent us from hurting each other. The religions that are creating these divisions are imported and are tools the colonizer used to make us pliant for servitude.
We need to learn how to remove these barriers that were created by those who came into our land for conquest. This needs the art of diplomacy and time. We have to understand we need each other to survive. Things will change when we start seeing ourselves in each other.
Europe lived through a period where they were intolerant of each other and the continent is gradually resuming some semblance of civility towards each other. The world war was actually intertribal and religious wars. Kosovo is still almost a war zone with animosities but life is getting better.
This is where I fault the proponents of Biafra. The quickness in which they want to resolve issues with violence or war is akin to people who have no experience with the devastation war brings. They are quick to issue ultimatums and engage in kinetic actions that will rally an opponent against them. This bellicosity and lack of diplomacy is due to the fact their societies never engaged in many wars as a nation, where serious thought is given to the consequences of losing. They made this mistake in the Nigerian civil war and they are at it again.
The Oyo Empire was one of the bloodiest empires in West Africa. The fall of the Oyo Empire led to the wholesale enslavement of the Yoruba people. The Yoruba people are the largest enslaved tribe in Africa. From Brazil to Suriname Cuba, the Yoruba language and religion are the norm. This devastation had an effect on the Oyo Empire and they learned from it.
This is the reason why the Yoruba people are very diplomatic about thorny issues. They have been accused of being tricky. They learned a lot from their history and a Yoruba man will never beat his chest to a man who has an AK 47 pointing to his chest. If a Yoruba man decides to go to war, I will not have many questions to ask before I join because I know he has deliberated about everything and he has no other choice and I know he will win because he also understands the opposition.
When Nnamdi Kanu threatens a Buhari who is a President, Kanu assumes that Buhari is an idiot because of Igbo man’s arrogance and limited education. Where is Kanu today? Buhari could have eliminated Kanu in Nairobi if that was his mission. His mission was to arrest and prosecute him. Notwithstanding his theatrics, Nnamdi should thank Buhari for not murdering him in Nairobi or through a calculated plane crash. He should learn that a good leader is not a blood thirsty vagabond who issues orders to kill people at will. He should respect our courts and follow the due process of trial.
Those who are asking America to invade Nigeria have the same infantile thinking. They think Trump will drop the bombs, the Muslims will disappear and they will have their Biafra and everything is over. This naivety led to the colossal failure of Ojukwu and the Igbos still call him the people general.
Please turn the page. It is titled the “Day After “ For some reasons, the Biafrans don’t know that their book of dreams has a next page. Ojukwu forgot that page too. “After Biafra lost, they blamed everyone but themselves. The people who rejected the advice of Nnamdi Azikiwe, a seasoned statesman for the bellicosity of a renegade now tell us it was other people’s fault.
Warriors don’t brag about battles. They don’t even show us their scars. They leave that for amateurs who have never seen widows and orphans. Hitler tried it the second time and the results were the same and more devastating. It is not necessary to repeat a class if all lessons are learned.
My submission is that we should learn diplomacy. The making of a nation requires this. Those who negotiate on behalf of their people should always avoid the temptation to think their adversary is an idiot.
America has not given us creative leaders lately. They have become used to antiseptic wars. Donald Trump coming to Africa to save Christian sounds like a 419 proposition for the racist religious right of America. He doesn’t need to spend much effort to destroy Nigeria or kill those causing the problem.
Let’s be more creative. He should tell Nigeria he is dropping 20 billion dollars in Lokoja for Christians and Muslims to share equally. He should then sit and wait. All the Muslims and Christians will arrive with their swords and AK 47. There will be a holy war as each side tries to claim this loot. The only ones who will be left alive are Nigerians who didn’t believe the story and those who have not been converted or sent away by their priests because they are not real Muslims or Christians. The Catholics will ask for confessions before any one is allowed to join the broil. By morning, America can walk in and take the rare earths and minerals without firing a shot . They can collect their money from the pockets of all the dead Christians and Muslims who were engaged in a jihad.
Where are the good Christians in Nigeria? They have been raptured. Where are the Muslims? They are in paradise with their 72 virgins. Religion has always been a lie, a big lie. Religion is an intoxicant invented by men of power. This intoxicant is the greatest purveyor of violence and cruelty in our world. The exceptions don’t make the rules. Prove me wrong.
What is so holy about a war that God has to take sides? If America defeats Nigeria tomorrow, does it mean America was right and God was on their side? No, they have better intelligence and technology. God wasn’t the referee.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS