Flowerbud News

Year: 2026

  • Osun election: Adeleke tasks journalists to be vanguards against disinformation

    Osun election: Adeleke tasks journalists to be vanguards against disinformation

     

     

    By Olajide Idowu

    Osogbo:   Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has charged journalists in the state to be vanguards against fake news and misinformation as the state prepares for the Aug. 15, governorship election.

    Adeleke gave the charged at the Government House in Osogbo while hosting new executives of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun Council.

    “Please permit me to task the media to remain a strong vanguard against fake news and disinformation.

    “As Osun is nearing a new election circle, I urge media practitioners to uphold professionalism and ethics of the profession.

    “We must ensure balanced news coverage, investigative journalism, zero tolerance for fake news, observance of relevant laws like cyber crime act as well as state and federal laws.

    “We have a duty to embark on voter education and campaign against electoral malpractice.

    “The media should be the champions against election manipulations,” he said.

    According to the governor, journalists are to expose rigging and activities targeted at subverting the will of the people.

    “As the fourth estate of the realm, you must hold the three arms of government accountable without partisan bias,” Adeleke said

    The governor also congratulated the new NUJ state executives for their election into office and promised to support the union’s programmes, initiatives and proposals presented to him.

    Mr Adeyemi Aboderin, the newly elected Chairman of NUJ, Osun, who led other executive and union members to the government house, thanked the governor for the support to the union and media practitioners in the state.

    Aboderin said that with the governorship election in the state fast approaching, the NUJ was seeking collaboration with stakeholders to ensure a hitch free and credible exercise.

    The chairman also brought to the attention of the governor the plight of some journalist at the state Broadcasting Corporation who were employed as informal staff.

    He said since 2023 that the governor gave the directive for them to be converted to permanent staff, they were yet to receive their  letters of employment.

    Aboderin therefore appealed to the governor to look into the matter (NAN) (www.nannews.com)

  • A Call to the Streets in Venezuela

    A Call to the Streets in Venezuela

     

    By Ren Pluta

    World Beyond War (WBW) Latin America Organizer Gabriel Aguirre and WBW member Ren Pluta marched in the city of Mérida, Venezuela (pop ~ 200,000) Wednesday, March 4 in solidarity with between 2000 – 3000 local protesters supporting the national call to return President Maduro and First Combatant Flores to their home after their illegal kidnapping and transportation to a u.s. prison.

    The gathering was an excellent example of the efficacy of community networks that started the call to the street only the night before the march. There was no violence, and speakers included the mayor and the governor.

    Despite suffering over 1000 reported u.s. sanctions against Venezuela last year, Venezuelans managed to produce over 90% of their own food, and continue to provide healthcare and free education for their population.

    There were more than a few conversations where Venezuelan citizens openly and strongly stated that they believe that most people in the u.s. are very different than the face that Donald presents. While a number of citizens rightly hold us responsible for reconstructing our fascist-leaning government, they also mentioned they are well aware that Donald made the decision to kill people in Venezuela and kidnap the President and First Combatant without consulting Congress or the u.s. population.

    Contrary to Donald’s exaggerated claims of narco-terrorism and flooding the u.s. with fentanyl and cocaine, both the UN Office on Drugs and Crime AND u.s. counter narcotics organizations report that Venezuela isn’t a producer or exporter of fentanyl and that it plays a relatively minor role in the cocaine trade.

    These types of bombastic headlines created by Donald’s “let’s keep the u.s. population scared” minions in the media smell of the same lies that were tied to our nose rings to lead us into other wars. Remember the “surprise” incoming attack on Pearl Harbor that was picked up visually beforehand but not reported? The fake boat attack that led us into Vietnam? The non-existent weapons of mass destruction that damaged yet another generation of veterans in Iraq?

    The distinct Venezuelan, heartwarming receptions experienced from government officials, residents of a barrio, a fishing community, members of successful communes, academics, wait staff in restaurants, artists, hospital personnel, and scientists is, in my opinion, a much truer representation of Venezuelans than the false accusations being delivered by Donald and Co.

    Note: The purposeful use of the diminutive form u.s. in this article is of the author’s choice, intended to reflect their personal belief that the office of the President is not currently filled by anyone representing the majority of the u.s. population

  • President Tinubu Announces Resolution of OPL 245 Dispute, Unlocks Major Deepwater Investment

    President Tinubu Announces Resolution of OPL 245 Dispute, Unlocks Major Deepwater Investment

     

    By Dianabasi Effiong

    President Bola Tinubu announced on Thursday, the successful conclusion of a historic settlement agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria, ENI, and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAEL).

    This was made known by Bayo Onanuga,
    Special Adviser to the President
    (Information and Strategy).

    According to Onanuga, the announcement was made at the meeting in his office attended by the Chief Executive Officer of Eni, Claudio Descalzi; the Chief Operating Officer, Guido Brusco; the Head of Sub-Saharan Region, Mario Bello; the Managing Director of Nigerian Agip Exploration, Fabrizio Bolondi; and the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Arowolo-Verheijen.

    The agreement brought to a close the long-standing dispute over Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245, paving the way for the development of one of Nigeria’s most significant deepwater resources.

    Signed in Abuja, the agreement marks the resolution of a dispute spanning more than 15 years.

    It restores clarity and stability to an asset widely recognised as one of Nigeria’s most commercially promising deepwater blocks.

    With the dispute now settled, the pathway is clear for Final Investment Decision on the Zabazaba–Etan development, a project capable of adding approximately 150,000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s production capacity and strengthening the country’s long-term energy outlook.

    According to Arowolo-Verheijen,
    President Tinubu describes the agreement as a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s economic reform agenda, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to resolving legacy disputes, restoring investor confidence, and ensuring that Nigeria’s natural resources deliver sustainable value to the Nigerian people.

    “This resolution sends a clear signal to global investors that Nigeria is prepared to address legacy issues transparently, uphold the rule of law, and create a stable environment for long-term capital,” the President said.

    “The settlement also represents a significant improvement on the 2011 Resolution Agreement, reflecting the policy framework established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the administration’s broader fiscal and governance reforms in the energy sector.

    “The revised terms strike a balanced outcome providing investors with the clarity and predictability required to proceed with major deepwater investments, while ensuring stronger value accretion and safeguards for the Federation”, Arowolo-Verheijen said.

    The agreement is part of a wider programme of reforms undertaken since 2023 to restore Nigeria’s competitiveness in global energy markets.

    These reforms, anchored in the Petroleum Industry Act and supported by targeted executive actions, have already contributed to renewed investor interest and significant capital inflows into Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

    “By resolving the OPL 245 dispute, the Federal Government has removed one of the most prominent legacy risks in Nigeria’s upstream sector and reinforced its commitment to predictable regulation, transparent governance, and commercially viable investment frameworks”, Arowolo-Verjeihen said.

    President Tinubu also commended all institutions and stakeholders who contributed to achieving the settlement, including the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), NNPC Limited, and the leadership of ENI.

    The successful resolution underscores the Tinubu Administration’s determination to unlock Nigeria’s strategic energy assets, attract responsible investment, and ensure that the nation’s resources translate into growth, jobs, and long-term prosperity for Nigerians.

  • False claim against Tinubu: Court adjourns Sowore’s trial over judge’s absence

    False claim against Tinubu: Court adjourns Sowore’s trial over judge’s absence

     

    The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, adjourned the trial of Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, on alleged defamatory remarks against President Bola Tinubu, for continuation of hearing.

    The case, scheduled for Thursday, could not proceed due to the absence of Justice Mohammed Umar in court.

    Although lawyer to the prosecution, Akinlu Kehibde, SAN, and that of the defence, Marshall Abubakar, were in court, including the defendant and the prosecution witness, Justice Umar, the trial judge, was said to be in another official engagement.

    Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claim against the person of Present Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.

    Justice Umar had, on Feb. 4, rejected two documents tendered by Sowore in his ongoing trial.

    The judge, in a ruling, declined an oral application by Sowore’s lawyer, seeking an order admitting a set of documents, comprising print-outs of publications in evidence.

    The publications include media reports about DSS’ dismissal of 115 officials for misconduct; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charging five ex-governors with corruption; EFCC’s sacking 27 of its officials over fraud and misconduct and EFCC’s arrest of some ex-staff of the NNPCL over N7.2 billion fraud.

    In the ruling, Justice Umar agreed with DSS lawyer that the best opportunity for the defendant to tender the documents is during the conduct of his defence.

    The judge held that since the first prosecution witness (PW-1), Cyril Nosike, an operative of the secret police, being cross-examined by Abubakar, said he knew nothing about the publications contained in the documents, such documents could not be tendered through the witness.

    In the second ruling, the judge rejected another set of documents which comprised of print-outs of publications which Abubakar claimed showed that President Tinubu allegedly called former President Goodluck Jonathan “a drunkard and sinking fisherman,” and where he also called former President Olusegun Obasanjo “an expired meat.”

    The judge marked the documents rejected for the same reason he gave in rejecting the first set of documents.

    Justice Umar, however, frowned at the report by the prosecuting lawyer that a member of the defence team had live streamed previous proceedings in the case and urged the court to order an investigation to identify the person behind it.

    Although Abubakar denied that any member of the defence team was involved and claimed that it could have been done by the DSS or people in the presidency, the judge said such conduct amounted to contempt of court.

    Abubakar urged the court to only caution against a repeat of such incident, but to decline the request by the prosecuting lawyer that an investigation be ordered by the court.

  • Ambakina Moses Jitoboh and Ending Nigeria Police Alien Tradition

    Ambakina Moses Jitoboh and Ending Nigeria Police Alien Tradition

     

     

    By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

    Ambakina Moses Jitoboh died suddenly on 28 December 2025. He was born on 1 June 1970 to a father from Trofani, in Sagbama Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Bayelsa State. Jitoboh’s death occurred in the week before he was due to travel out of the country for a break.

    The journey that he eventually got to make was, tragically, unplanned and to the Great Beyond. In the events of the past week in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) – in the service of which Jitoboh spent his professional life – his commitment to fairness has bestowed on him a timeless legacy that is unlikely to be easily forgotten.

    Moses Jitoboh graduated with a degree in geography and regional planning from the University of Calabar in 1992. Two years later, in June 1994, he was commissioned into the NPF as an Assistant Superintendent of Police. Ten years later, he found himself as the Aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Deputy Governor of his home state, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

    When he became Vice-President in 2007, Goodluck Jonathan sought and retained Jitoboh as his ADC. Less than three years later, Jonathan was president. In that capacity, he was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and his ADC became a soldier. Jonathan turned to Jitoboh and made him the Chief Security Officer to the President.

    A rapid coincidence of events outside his control conspired thereafter to accelerate Jitoboh’s rise up the ranks of the Nigeria Police Force. 16 years into his service, by November 2010, Jitoboh had attained the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police. 10 years later, in December 2020, he became an Acting Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG).

    In July 2021, the Police Service Commission (PSC) confirmed Jitoboh as a substantive DIG. At 51, he was the youngest person to attain that rank since the return of the country to civil rule in 1999. He still had nine years to serve in the rank before the compulsory retirement age of 60.

    In the third week of his presidency, on 19th June 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu designated Dr. Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector-General of Police in an acting capacity. Upon his elevation to the rank of DIG two months earlier in April 2023, Dr. Egbetokun was the most junior of the five officers of that rank in the NPF. However, upon being elevated to become IGP, he superseded them.

    On 25th August 2023, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr Solomon Arase, issued a letter to the four DIGs then in service requiring them all to proceed on “compulsory retirement from the service of the Nigeria Police Force with immediate effect….”

    The Commission did not find any of the officers guilty of any misconduct. Instead, it said that its instruction was “premised on the fact that you were senior to the Acting Inspector-General of Police before his appointment on 19th June 2023.” The letter cited what it called an imperative need “aimed at discouraging status reversal, which is inherently dangerous to the exercise of authority by the Inspector-General of Police.”

    The PSC did not exactly explain what it meant by “status reversal”. At the time, Dr. Arase was the latest in a succession of Chairmen of the PSC whose route to the position was paved by their having previously served as IGP. It was not supposed to be so.

    The 1999 Constitution created the PSC as an independent police oversight institution.

    When it began functioning in 2001, its inaugural chair was Simon Okeke, a civilian. However, when Chief Okeke’s five-year tenure ended in 2006, then IGP, Sunday Ehindero, successfully persuaded President Olusegun Obasanjo that it was safer to hand the headship of the Commission over to retired police chiefs.

    This, it was believed, was to make the Commission more amenable to the machinations of the leadership of the NPF, contrary to the clear design of the constitution. Ironically, that development produced the opposite result, and the PSC and IGP sued one another up to the Supreme Court.

    The four DIGs, Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Hafiz Inuwa and Bode Adeleke complied and proceeded on compulsory retirement.

    In October 2023, Moses Jitoboh sued. In the proceedings before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, he argued through his lawyer, Silas Joseph Onu, that the PSC exceeded its powers in terminating his service in the NPF before the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years in service, and asked the court to set aside the Commission’s decision.

    Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, would later reveal that following the onset of this litigation, he met with Jitoboh and “urged him to drop his case against the Nigeria Police, but Jitoboh explained that he did not do it for himself but for the sake of justice.” He would get his wish – posthumously.

    Sixteen days after his death, on 13th January 2025, Osatohanmwen Ayodele Obaseki-Osaghae, a judge of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, handed down judgment in Moses Jitoboh vs. PSC. The Court found as a fact that Jitoboh had served in the NPF with distinction and without blemish.

    But it was the findings of the court concerning the institutional practice of the Police that were to become revolutionary. The court found that “it is not the custom of the Nigeria Police, and there is no policy that senior officers are expected to tender their resignation on the appointment of their junior as IGP.” The PSC’s notice of compulsory retirement, the court held, was contrary to both the Public Service Rules and the Police Act, “which read together provide that the compulsory retirement age for all grades of officers in the public service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.”

    Additionally, it also found that “in the history of the NPF, there is in existence evidence that when a junior officer is appointed to a higher rank, his seniors are not compulsorily retired but allowed to serve in different capacities until retirement.”

    The court, therefore, declared the compulsory retirement of Moses Jitoboh from the rank of DIG to be “unlawful, null and void and of no effect”, ordered him to be reinstated in the same rank and awarded him 50 million Naira in damages, in addition to costs assessed at 750,000 Naira.

    On that day of the judgment, Ambakina Moses Jitoboh was in his 16th day in the morgue. The judgment had sadly been delayed by one month from its original date of delivery in December 2024. It is only a matter for speculation what the effect could have been on his fate if the delay had not occurred.

    The PSC chose not to appeal against the judgment.

    In the past week, following the resignation of Dr. Egbetokun from the position of IGP and the appointment of Tuni Disu, an Assistant Inspector-General to replace him, much ink was spilt in pitted arguments over whether or not eight DIGs and 21 AIGs who were considered senior to the new helmsman should be cleared out of service.

    Many claimed that it was “the tradition of the police”, unaware that a court of competent jurisdiction had ruled that no such tradition existed and that, even if it did, it would have been considered unlawful.

    A country in a life-and-death struggle with insecurity could ill have afforded such a waste of experience and expertise. At the end of the week, it was reported that President Tinubu had moved to rule that out. It was the ultimate tribute to the memory of Ambakina Moses Jitoboh, the police officer who refused to accept injustice for an answer.

    *A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu*

  • Oyo FCC Commissioner Pledges Equity, Inclusiveness in Public Service

    Oyo FCC Commissioner Pledges Equity, Inclusiveness in Public Service

    Oyo FCC Commissioner Pledges Equity, Inclusiveness in Public Service

     

    By Adewale Owoade.

     

    The Federal Character Commissioner representing Oyo State, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, has reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to ensuring that no section of the country feels marginalised in governance and public administration.

     

    Abass-Aleshinloye gave the assurance during a press conference and inaugural meeting with staff of the Commission in Oyo State.

     

    He emphasised that the Federal Character principle remains a vital instrument for promoting national unity, integration and inclusiveness in Nigeria’s diverse society.

    “The Federal Character principle remains one of the pillars for promoting unity, national integration and inclusiveness in our diverse nation. It ensures that no section of the country feels marginalised and that every state and region has a sense of belonging in the governance and administration of our great nation.

     

    “We will not relent in our efforts to ensure that recruitment, appointments, promotions, infrastructure, policy implementation and other opportunities in the public service reflect the diversity of our country and adhere strictly to the guidelines laid down by the Commission,” he said.

     

    The Commissioner also assured the people of Oyo State that their interests would continue to be adequately represented at the Commission. He stressed that efforts would be sustained to ensure the state receives its fair share of federal opportunities while upholding merit and professionalism in public service.

     

    “Specifically, I want to assure the good people of Oyo State that their interests and concerns remain well represented at the Commission, while also encouraging merit, competence, and professionalism in public service.

     

    “At this time in our national journey, it is important for all stakeholders—government institutions, political leaders, civil society organizations, and citizens—to support policies and initiatives that promote fairness, transparency, and national cohesion.”

    Addressing staff of the Commission in the state, Abass-Aleshinloye described their role as critical to the effective implementation of the Commission’s policies and urged them to remain professional, dedicated and transparent in the discharge of their duties.

    Earlier, the State Director of the Commission in Oyo State, Mr Muyiwa Babanumi, thanked the Commissioner for the visit and pledged the staff’s cooperation towards achieving greater success.

  • Jisike Collective: Tackling Youth Crime through Storytelling

    Jisike Collective: Tackling Youth Crime through Storytelling

     

     

    *By Paul Ejime

    Shaka (not his real name) is a 15-year-old born in Britain to African immigrant parents. The family live in Dorset County, in the South Coast of England.

    A couple of years ago, Shaka and his friends went to hang out, but on his way back home, the police accosted him, and before he knew it, he was handcuffed and taken to the police station. Shaka was in shock and traumatized. To compound the situation, the police were not forthcoming with the reason/s for his arrest and mistreatment.

    Incidentally, Shaka’s father is a well-known figure in the community who works with the police in counselling and support for youths with mental health issues, some arising from ethnic profiling and hate crime, including rape, theft, as well as unmet aspirations, joblessness, loneliness and depression.

    Apart from citing “mistaken identity” as the implausible reason for arresting Shaka, the police did nothing to remedy his mistreatment, which affected his self-esteem. Shaka’s father worked hard to pull his son from depression arising from his traumatising encounter with the police.

    Shaka’s case is a typical experience among immigrant teenagers in foreign countries. Statistics by multiple verifiable sources indicate that they are disproportionately represented in the crime charts.

    Consequently, some immigrant parents are returning their wayward children to their countries of origin for reorientation.

    According to the *UK Office for National Statistics (ONS),* which put the UK’s population at 69.4 million, among the under-18 knife homicide victims in England and Wales in the year ended March 2024, 30% were white, 28% were Black, while 40% were from other ethnic backgrounds.

    Concerned about this and similar disturbing statistics, the *Jisike Collective, * which brings together people of diverse cultures and life experiences, was spurred into action, including “using storytelling to share how our communities are affected and how, by working together, we can find ways out of exploitation and build safer, stronger futures.”

    In partnership with the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange and supported by the Students’ Union, Bournemouth University (BU), the Jisike Collective, based in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP), organised an event last weekend featuring film screening, poetry readings and diverse perspectives on youth crime.

    The Jisike Collective Chair, Dr Samantha Iwowo, a Faculty member at BU and an accomplished screenwriter, director, and researcher with a bias on Post-colonialism and leanings toward Transnational-Cinema Studies, said the project was inspired by the challenges faced by migrants from Africa and other mixed-race groups, in search of a better life abroad.

    Dr Iwowo recalled that in her home country, Nigeria, the world’s most populous Black nation, the government in the early 1980s attempted to discourage mass migration, using a popular jingle on *Nigeria’s Andrews, who were checking out.*  The problem has since morphed into the so-called *Japa Syndrome* .

    The Jisike Collective initiative is to address the negative impacts of the change of culture and environment on immigrant youth, including the culture shocks, pop culture, acculturation, depression, trauma, as well as the psychological and mental implications of ethnic profiling.

    Dr Rehan Zia, a Committee member and Miranda Jones, Secretary of Jisike Collective, explained that the storytelling project, which was birthed in 2018 at BU, sought to “show people as they are, and that we are all the same,” with the overarching objective of “integration and bringing people together.”

    Dr Emmanuella Ejime-Okereafor, the Treasurer, Jisike Collective and a Co-chair of Race Equality Network, BU, said the project emphasizes “action over talk, towards making us the change we desire.”

    Jeffrey Ononiwu, a Community Engagement Coordinator of Jisike Collective, spoke in the same vein, while Tama Merdaci, a Chaplain on hate crimes from the Capacity Building Office, of the Community Action Network (CAN), related her personal hate crime experience of being attacked by a group of youths of different ethnicity, and the case of an 18-year-old, whose hand was cut off. She said she now uses the benefits of those lived experiences to counsel and support victims.

    A participant said that in his youth, he carried a knife for protection and self-defence. But another attendee warned that bearing weapons for self-defence is not the solution because it often leads to the commission of more violent crimes.

    Nisola Jegede, Jisike Collective’s Project Manager, read a poem, *“Silence we Made,”*  calling for community support in fighting youth crime.

    Andrew Szewczyk, 15, with a Nigerian mother and Polish father, delivered a thought-provoking speech on *Knife Crime,* urging collaborative and inclusive measures to address youth crime effectively.

    “Every year in this country, there are over 54,000 knife-related offences,” Andrew said, adding: “…I am not here to brew fearful sentiments, rather raise you all to the table of action, against waves of violence ever encroaching upon our greatest asset, stability.”

    One of the highlights of the event, which was also attended by personnel from the Police Community Support Unit, was the screening of *“Paint Brushed,”*  a film on youth crime. Shot in Peckham, a sprawling neighbourhood in South-East London, which is popular for its immigrant population, the film focuses on immigrant challenges, especially youth crimes, including hard drug consumption.

    One quote by the narrator from Africa’s repertoire of proverbs on the importance of counselling and the role of the family is:  “One who inquires never misses his way.”

    Gani Olatoye, the film Editor, who joined the event on video conference from Nigeria, described the project as the beginning of a broader initiative to address immigrant problems in the Diaspora.

    Jenny Zhou, Jisike Collective’s Media Communication Coordinator, harped on the need to tackle youth migrant problems early “before the victims get to the point of no return,” adding that the issue cuts across minority communities and mixed races, including migrants from Africa and Asia.

    From the Q&A session, there was consensus that family is central to the proper upbringing of children, with emphasis on community involvement and ownership of solution-initiatives, including mentoring, guidance and a support system for youth victims.

    Storytelling is part of Africa’s oral history/tradition, and incidentally, Jisike in Igbo  translates to an exhortation to “be strong or courageous.”

    Dr Iwowo said the Jisike Collective project seeks to encourage strong community involvement, coupled with advocacy to authorities to shape and influence policy formulation and modification, toward prevention and effective solutions, including healing those directly or vicariously affected by youth crime.

     

    (*Ejime is a Global Affairs Analyst and Consultant on Strategic Governance Communications)

     


    About Flowerbudnews
    Established by Hon.  Biola Lawal, a former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), FLOWERBUDNEWS is a consortium of active veteran journalists, experienced Multimedia broadcast experts and image makers.

    We are drawn from both public and private  sectors of Nigeria’s media Industry with a common  determination to enhance the practice of responsible journalism..

    Lawal, on his part, is also a former Honourable Commissioner for Information,Youth, Sports and Culture of Osun state, his home state.

    Biola Lawal had also successfully served two tenures as Press Secretary to the ECOMOG Force Commander in Liberia during the Liberian and Sierra Leone Civil wars. He was an outstanding NAN Defence and War Correspondent for many years.

    The retired NAN Acting Boss holds the honour of being the only journalist that served two terms on the ECOMOG international assignment due to his high professionalism and decency.

    He is a Co-Author of the book; ECOMOG, A BOLD ATTEMPT AT REGIONAL PEACEKEEPING! Edited Mrs Magaret Voght.  The book remains the most. factual, detailed and authentic book on the ECOWAS sponsored ECOMOG Military operation. (08025852890)

     

     

  • Nigeria: Statecraft, Influencers, Spin Doctors and Evasion of Moral Obligation

    Nigeria: Statecraft, Influencers, Spin Doctors and Evasion of Moral Obligation

    *By Richard Ikiebe

    In the fleeting, flattened world of social media, where only simple, singular ideas survive, politicians and media enjoy endless field days constructing and reconstructing reality, and bending it to suit their purpose. The custom of reducing complex public problems to one-line explanations routinely leads to confusion, chaos and policy failure in the long run; it does not create clarity.

    Modern politics is addicted to oversimplification. Complex crises with deep historical, economic, religious and institutional roots are collapsed into slogans that fit on a phone screen or in a ten-second clip. The alchemy produces citizens who, while knowing less, feel more certain and understand much less.

    Oversimplification does three kinds of damage well. It erases causality by recasting many-layered conflicts as if they sprang from a single grievance or villain. It dissolves responsibility, because when “everybody is a victim,” nobody is accountable. And it corrupts remedies, because a diagnosis that is wrong by design can yield only cosmetic or destructive “solutions.” This is particularly true in today’s social-media world, where reality competes with narratives that reward the neatest story, not the strongest evidence.

    Nigeria’s handling of insecurity offers a casebook example of how states weaponise oversimplification of important issues to escape moral scrutiny. For years, Christian communities in the Middle Belt and the Northeast have documented patterns of attacks that resembled a deliberate attempt to exterminate them and dispossess them of their ancestral lands.

    These are atrocities that can no longer be dismissed as random. Rather than treat these cries as a summons to sober investigation and decisive protection, the state took the easy path of narrative management.

    The domestic script is disarmingly simple: allegations of anti-Christian violence are dissolved into neutral-sounding frames and categories like “farmer-clashes,” “banditry,” “communal violence.”  “It is not persecution, it is insecurity,” and “everyone is affected.”

    The government insists that “Muslims too are being killed,” without saying who is killing the Muslims. This position drains the discourse of vital distinctions between perpetrators and victims that any meaningful justice process requires.

    For maximum effect, domestic oversimplification is paired with a more sophisticated manoeuvre abroad. Instead of deploying seasoned diplomats to acknowledge failures and outline reforms, the state spends millions to recruit foreign lobbyists and public relations firms.

    Their job specifications are to “correct misconceptions,” counter “genocide narratives,” and advertise “efforts to protect Christians.” Simultaneously, Abuja proliferates defence and security agreements with foreign states, branding Nigeria as a frontline counter-terrorism partner.

    These strategies reconfigure the moral frame. At home, the victims’ grievances are blurred into a fog of generic insecurity: “everyone is a victim,” and so on. The government need not prevail on facts, only push a simple counter-narrative that outruns detailed evidence of village-level atrocities.

    Abroad, a burnished image of a government heroically fighting terror is amplified by professional image-launderers and wrapped in pristine communiqués carefully crafted to deflect hard questions about impunity and complicity.

    Living in denial is ruinous, but not immediately; it buys governments shortterm reputational comfort. Later, denial corrodes trust: communities whose suffering is dismissed as “fake news” eventually withdraw cooperation from a state they no longer believe can, or wants to, protect them.

    Another consequence is that security agencies trapped in politicised narratives lose clarity of mission. If every attack is reduced to “banditry,” the distinct motives and logics of jihadist, criminal and communal violence are blurred; responses become indiscriminate, inefficient and often counter-productive.

    A country that devotes more energy to defending its image than defending its people will, sooner or later, be seen as unreliable both morally and strategically. When lobbyists’ talking points collide with independent reporting and survivors’ testimonies, the credibility of the nation is damaged.

    Worst of all, nothing changes on the ground: the dead remain dead, the displaced remain displaced, and perpetrators, emboldened by the knowledge that their crimes will be treated as “banditry”, continue to act. Also, oversimplification is never neutral; it aligns, in effect, with impunity.

    To escape this cycle and regain moral legitimacy, Nigeria must choose a harder, measured path. It must rename realities accurately; it must acknowledge religious and identity dimensions where they exist; and it must present evidence-based disaggregated data on attacks so that patterns are visible and contestable. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must prioritise justice over public relations by diverting funds from foreign PR to serious investigations, protection of witnesses, and publicly tracking arrests and convictions culprits.

    Government must rebuild professional diplomacy. By calling, ambassadors and career diplomats lead engagements with foreign partners, not lobbyists. Also, security cooperation should be tied to accountability tools, not optics. The state must end its denialist campaigns and detoxify itself of over-dependence on social media influencers who tell linear stories.

    Instead, it must provide verifiable information after atrocities and enforce rules against disinformation and victim-blaming.

    Inclusive security governance is essential: affected communities should help design local security and reconciliation structures, while defence agreements are audited against real gains in civilian protection.

    Above all, leaders must embrace complexity as a duty; they must learn to communicate difficult truths, admit uncertainty and reward candour over comforting slogans. Only a government that rejects the shallow shadows of perpetual denial can begin to build a new Nigeria in which genuine security for citizens of all faiths everywhere in the country can finally take root.

    *Dr Richard Ikiebe is a Media and Management Consultant, Teacher and Chairman, Board of Businessday Newspaper*

  • Bayelsa: Dickson Dumps PDP, Announces. New Party

    Bayelsa: Dickson Dumps PDP, Announces. New Party

     

     

    The former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The influential lawmaker, who represents Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, made the high-profile announcement on Thursday.

    Breaking his long-standing ties with the main opposition party, Dickson confirmed that he has moved his structure to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

    The defection marks a significant turning point for the “Ofurumapepe” of Bayelsa politics, who served two terms as governor under the PDP banner between 2012 and 2020.

    Speaking on the development, Dickson indicated that his decision followed extensive consultations with his primary constituents and political stakeholders across the Niger Delta region.