By Eric Isagba

It has become so indubitably clear to Nigerians and indeed the entire world that since he assumed office as the NNPCL helmsman few months ago Bayo Bashir Ojulari has inadvertently assumed the role of Hercules in Greek mythology who was saddled with the responsibility of cleaning the stable of King Augeas of Ellis messed up by over 30, 000 horses and were never cleaned for thirty years. The modus operandi adopted by Hercules to achieve this great feat via the opening of two rivers to flow through the stable and thus clearing the entire mess in one fell swoop was considered a miracle that has continued to baffle mankind.

NNPCL as the numero uno cash cow of the country has continuously and habitually been infested with all manners of sharks or hawks ferociously drawing blood without restrain to the detriment of the Nigerian economy. Left to foster for many decades the recent reforms introduced by Bayo Bashir Ojulari and his puritanical team since assumption of office can therefore only be seen by the detractors’ wolves as outrageous for their only source of cutting a large chunk of sleazy cake off Nigeria has been cut off.

But was Bayo Bashir Ojulari expecting to have a smooth sail? Definitely not. Just in case he has forgotten, he needs some reminding that those he’s dealing with are a formidable force that cuts across all sectors of the economy. The cartel were so mean that even without importing petroleum products into Nigeria they were paid subsidies that ran into millions of dollars not minding whether the economy was bleeding to death or not. And with the alleged active connivance of top shots of NNPCL this large scale corruption went on unabated till the new Sheriff came to town. What with constant low production of crude across the nation and the never ending TAM scandals gulping several billions of dollars in our refineries that continually embarrassed different government until PBAT came into office 29th May 2023?

Curious as their mission is, the main target of the oil thieves and their collaborators (whether in government or the corporation) is to bring Bayo Bashir Ojulari down by every means possible and pave way for a new helmsman who would reopen the pipelines connecting illicit wealth to their coffers. The coordinated attempt to get down the new NNPCL helmsman at all costs is so intense that one can only ignore it at one’s own risk. From peddling of dangerous rumours, dispensation of utter falsehood by planting spurious stories in the media to crowd rental for phantom protests these wounded lions are unrelenting in their efforts day by day which underscores the fact that if their activities are left unchecked the danger ahead will be monumental.

The narrative that Bayo Bashir Ojulari as GCEO of NNPCL unilaterally awarded a N5b contract to his cronies on assumption of office is to say the least callous, trite, misguided, puerile, mischievous and intended to cause panic in the volatile oil and gas sector of the economy. Are there no systems in place in the organization with checks and balances? Again with a singular motive in mind the cartel wouldn’t stop in their messy dealings as they have also weighed in on the Kigali trip as one of their flashpoints without diligently verifying if it emanated from an existing contract inherited from the previous Management.

Authority and responsibility go parri passu which is evident in the way and manner Bayo Bashir Ojulari and his team are running the affairs of NNPCL. With his wealth of experience as a celebrated Petroleum Engineer and manager both of human and capital resources spanning over three decades in the oil and gas sector there’s no doubt that he possesses the appropriate skills to steer the ship to the required destination.

Regrettably however, one key factor necessary for Bayo Ojulari and his team to actually succeed is lacking. Political will and power which is the exclusive prerogative of Mr. President his employer. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the only person empowered in our country to permanently cut off the hands of all those beating the drums of war and distracting those he appointed in NNPCL to carry out his reforms in the oil and gas sector of the economy. After all no one among the cartel is faceless, they are all well known to those in the corridors of power and can as well be made to face the music of economic sabotage so the country can heave a sigh of relief.

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You don’t treat cancer with kid gloves, those perpetrating this evil are well known to the authority and whatever reasons why they are still strolling in the streets of Abuja and Lagos without cooling their various heels asses in prison for acts against the State is indeed worrisome to well meaning Nigerians.

Bayo Bashir Ojulari should be allowed unfettered hands to steer the ship of the nation’s cash-cow if the country is to reap maximum benefits from nature’s endowment. This witch-hunt must stop.

Eric Isagba, an author and management consultant writes from Oleh Delta State.

Charles Aniagwu is more than just a name in Delta State’s political and social landscape; he is a personality whose life reflects honesty, humility, and service to humanity. Over the years, Aniagwu has distinguished himself as a dependable communicator, a seasoned public servant, and a leader who carries out his responsibilities with a deep sense of duty and integrity. His story is not one of mere titles or positions held, but of the consistent values he has brought into governance and community life, values that have earned him respect across political divides and endeared him to countless individuals who celebrate him today as a truly good man by every standard.

Born with an innate passion for service, Aniagwu carved a niche for himself early in life through his discipline, hard work, and commitment to excellence. His journey into public life was not accidental but the product of years of preparation, resilience, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to society. Whether as a journalist, spokesperson, or commissioner, Aniagwu has never lost sight of the responsibility to use his platforms as tools for truth, fairness, and positive change.

As the former Chief Press Secretary to the Delta State Governor, Aniagwu became a household name, earning a reputation for clarity, credibility, and transparency in the dissemination of government policies and programmes. His ability to balance professionalism with humility set him apart, making him not just a spokesperson, but also a bridge between government and the people. In a political space often marked by rhetoric and partisanship, Aniagwu’s voice stood out as one of sincerity and trust.

In his present role as Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Aniagwu has continued to demonstrate uncommon dedication and vision. Through his stewardship under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda, rural communities have continued to receive renewed attention, with infrastructure development pursued not merely as physical projects but as deliberate efforts to improve lives and connect people. His portfolio underscores his conviction that governance must positively impact the daily realities of citizens, especially those at the grassroots.

Beyond politics and public office, Aniagwu is admired as a family man, mentor, and community leader. Those who know him closely attest to his generosity of spirit, his listening ear, and his capacity to inspire confidence in others. He embodies values that transcend titles, humility, kindness, and the courage to stand for what is right.

It is therefore not surprising that tributes continue to pour in from friends, colleagues, and associates who see in him a rare blend of character and competence. To many, Aniagwu represents a refreshing example of what leadership should be, accountable, people-oriented, and grounded in integrity. To others, he is simply a good man, one whose life and work inspire hope that politics and governance can indeed be driven by conscience.

On this special day of your birth anniversary, I join your family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers in celebrating a man of uncommon virtues, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Delta State. Over the years, you have distinguished yourself as a sound communicator, an astute and genial administrator, and a kind-hearted man whose contributions continue to enrich our state and inspire those privileged to work with you. Truly, you are a man of many parts, with an unwavering commitment to excellence and service to humanity.

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On a personal note, working closely with you has impacted me deeply, from the wealth of knowledge I have gained under your guidance to the many acts of benevolence that reflect your large heart. Your exemplary leadership and generosity continue to be a source of inspiration to me. On behalf of my family, I heartily wish you many more years of good health, wisdom, and divine favour. May this new chapter of your life be filled with greater accomplishments and boundless joy.

Congratulations and happy birthday, sir.

Nelson Egware, Ph.D, Anipr
Executive Assistant to the Governor on Media

Dear Your Excellencies,
From a distance, I watch with growing unease as Nigeria’s basic educational system drifts away from its core mission of learning and discipline, sliding instead into a culture of extravagance and exploitation.

As someone born and raised in Nigeria, I remember a different era. Education then was about commitment, values, and academic excellence—not spectacle. As the youngest in my family, I recall with nostalgia how I made my way through school using textbooks passed down from my older siblings. There was no obsession with replacing textbooks each year.

During my primary school years, the administration of the late Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli—of blessed memory, and the first civilian governor of the defunct Bendel State—provided free textbooks and writing materials to pupils. Each book carried the proud inscription: “This Book Is Not for Sale, Property of Bendel State Government.” For me, it was a badge of dignity, not just an inscription. Certainly, there was no obsession with dressing toddlers in tuxedos and gowns for so-called “graduation ceremonies” from nursery school, as is now commonplace.

A Disturbing Cultural Drift

What we are witnessing today is a dangerous cultural drift: from learning to luxury. Nursery pupils and JSS 3 students now partake in elaborate “graduation ceremonies.” SSS 3 students are sent off with “prom nights” featuring limousines, red carpets, DJs, and after-parties—celebrations that have nothing to do with learning. These are distractions that burden parents, deepen social inequality, and normalize materialism.

Commendable Steps from Imo and Benue State Governments

It is in this context that I commend the bold actions of these two state governments.

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In Imo State, under Governor Hope Uzodimma, the Ministry of Education—led by Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha—recently banned graduation parties for nursery and JSS 3 students while also directing schools to stop the yearly change of textbooks. Similarly, in Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia announced the abolition of graduation ceremonies in nursery and basic schools, along with a ban on customized textbooks and exercise books. This was formally communicated in a circular dated August 15, 2025, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, Helen Zeramo.

These reforms are not about stifling joy. They are about restoring focus, fairness, and balance. True celebrations should be reserved for genuine milestones—completing primary school, excelling in national exams—not for simply moving from kindergarten to the next class.

The Textbook Exploitation Crisis
Equally troubling is the exploitative practice of forcing parents to buy new textbooks every academic year, often without curriculum changes. This practice ignores the realities of most Nigerian families and undermines continuity in teaching.

Growing up, my siblings and I learned effectively from hand-me-down books because the curriculum was stable. The Imo State directive mandating that approved textbooks remain in use for at least four years is both compassionate and practical. It eases financial strain, encourages resource sharing among siblings, and ensures consistency in instruction—all without reducing quality.

A Blueprint for Reform

I respectfully urge the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to consider the following nationwide policies:

1. Ban graduation parties for nursery, primary, and junior secondary students, as well as prom-style celebrations for senior secondary students.

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2. Mandate a minimum four-year use of approved textbooks across all schools, public and private.

3. Introduce clear guidelines to prevent financial exploitation and preserve academic integrity.

4. Reorient school culture back toward learning, discipline, and character formation.

The Stakes Are High

If we are truly committed to building an equitable and effective educational system, we must confront and eliminate the distractions, excesses, and exploitations that currently plague it. The commendable steps by Imo and Benue States show that reform is possible—and urgent.

Conclusion

Nigeria does not need limousines at school gates, nor toddlers in tuxedos. What it needs is a return to substance over show: children who take pride in learning, parents who are not exploited, and schools that embody discipline and excellence.

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Let us, together, restore dignity, purpose, and integrity to Nigerian education.

Yours patriotically,

Clifford Ogbeide
Public Affairs Analyst
Lake District, Canada

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, must be a terrible coward! Yes, you heard me.

His posture, his silence, his refusal to descend into the arena of verbal skirmishes, strikes, insults, and reckless outbursts from men of lesser stature: is this not cowardice dignified?

Some say it is weakness. Some call it timidity. Others whisper it is avoidance. Ooni is a coward? Nooooo. Nooo a thousand times

What some ignorantly label cowardice is, in truth, the rarest expression of maturity, the highest form of discipline, and the loftiest symbol of ancestral wisdom.

Only men with unshakable pedigrees stand tall when provoked, choosing silence over needless uproar. The Ooni does not need to roar like a wounded lion seeking validation. He does not need to scatter peace or split stones just to remind the world of his relevance. His throne, rooted in history, already announces him. His heritage, steeped in divinity, already crowns him. His antecedent, irrefutable and grand, already dignifies him.

The fact is that maturity is inborn. Maturity is not cheap talk—it is an inborn grace. Men of unstable background, men carrying the burden of ancestral tragedies and tainted legacies, may scatter fire to prove existence, for they are haunted by shadows of rejection and suicide.

But the Ooni? He is not of that stock. He is the custodian of Oduduwa’s heritage, the divine envoy of the Yoruba cosmos, a living symbol of continuity whose crown is not bought by noise but secured by destiny.

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So let the thunder of pretenders roar. Let them groan, fume, and grind their teeth in the desperation for attention. The Ooni does not bend to such vulgarity.

He does not join in mud fights. He is not a roadside royal in search of relevance. He is culture incarnate, royalty personified, wisdom enthroned.

Yes, if silence in the face of provocation is cowardice, then the Ooni is a coward. But if rising above pettiness, refusing to descend into verbal madness, and standing as a symbol of calm power is cowardice, then may every king be such a coward. We all know this truth: it is only the grabber of what does not belong to him that seeks attention by courting controversy, validation, and public notice.

A man who confiscates what is not his will raise hell to justify his theft. The Ooni, by contrast, has vision. He is steady and regal in his mission. He does not need to join issues with fire-splitting, stone-throwing petrol-bearers of disgrace—men whose antecedents drip with shame and destruction.

Bibire kì í ṣe f’owó rà—nobility cannot be purchased. You cannot compare a panda alàgbède (dross iron) with a diamond. The Ooni is not silver. He is a diamond. And diamonds are forever. It is simple you cannot give what you don’t have .

The Ooni of Ife is more than a monarch. He is Odùduwà—not merely a son of Odùduwà, but the embodiment of Odùduwà’s eternal essence. Hence you don’t expect him to give hoot to any un-royal antics.

For he is not Omo Ola. Ooni is the Ola gan gan gan. He is culture. He is dignity. He is timeless royalty.

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Ce finito. Good day. #ooni. #ojajaII.

The unveiling of the experiences of Mallam Garba Shehu in the political space as packaged in a book last Wednesday, was understandably graced by an incongruous audience.

It couldn’t have been otherwise, given the paradoxical role the esteemed journalist and public relations expert has played in the course of a so far distinguished career.

President Bola Tinubu who is out of the country was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF Senator George Akume. The cream of the opposition was no less present, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar present.

Also present was the secretary of the new coalition, African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was unusually out of place. An attempt by Prince Nduka Obaiegbena who was vice-chairman of the occasion, to lure Aregbesola to speak was unusually spurned by the oppositionist. What would make the normally animated political actor act coy was befuddling.

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Was it because of his present engagement in positioning the opposition to eviscerate the political structure that he had not too long ago fought fervently to build? Anyway, also present were many of those who helped in framing the present political configuration that now has Asiwaju Tinubu as the apex leader.

While some of them have been set aside or laid low, they were, however, proud to associate with Mallam Shehu, who served as an effective media mobiliser in enthroning Buhari to power.

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Among those present were Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora, the deputy director-general of the Buhari campaign in 2014/15, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, renowned for his strategic roles in the overthrow of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and of course, the presidential running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

There were also some non-political actors, including General Yakubu Gowon, who served as chairman, Garba Shehu’s roommate at Barewa College, Alhaji Lawal Garba, and many beautiful ladies, including the vivacious former executive secretary of the Nigerian Investment and Promotion Commission, NIPC, Saratu Umar.

Mallam Shehu’s unique pathway of meandering between political camps without as much as hurting anyone, perhaps, flows from his humble inclinations. As he made known in the book, According to the President: Lessons From A Presidential Spokesman’s Experience, and also on Wednesday at the book launch, his father was a driver!

Garba Shehu’s innate modesty is despite his exposure and upbringing in the North’s elite institution, Barewa College.

Garba Shehu apparently would not go the way of some present political actors in padding his beginnings or lifting his parents above what they were.

The book launch also opened another glimpse to the political persona of Buhari who was unavoidably absent due to his present physical infirmity. The erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, who was repeatedly lapped as the boss of bosses, gave a peep into how Buhari emerged as president.

According to him, the leaders of the alliance that brought forth the APC had taken into consideration the fact that Buhari had consistently scored 12 million votes in past elections. As such, they had an informal agreement to push Buhari forward as the 2015 presidential candidate. He justified the astuteness of the decision in the fact that Buhari eventually scored 15 million votes in the 2015 election, meaning that the other alliance leaders brought in 3 million votes to lift Buhari to victory.

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Unfortunately, his narration was, however, muddled up in the reportage of the book launch, as many news reports quoted Boss Mustapha as saying that Tinubu did not make Buhari president. However, Buhari could not have been president without the political perceptions brought by Tinubu and other alliance leaders.

Undoubtedly, one of the most visible contributors to Buhari’s victory who was present at the book launch was Atiku Abubakar, who is undoubtedly celebrated as the author’s first renowned political principal.

It was a sort of irony for Atiku as he kept an unusual silence for most of the ceremony, given the fact that Mallam Garba was his donation to Buhari, the man who not only defeated him in the 2019 presidential election, but also set up, or rather ALLOWED Tinubu to achieve victory in 2023.

It must have been mixed emotions for Atiku seeing his ‘son’ as it were being celebrated by those who ‘did him in’.

It is, however, telling that for all the time he was with Buhari that Mallam Garba Shehu did not for once backstab Atiku, especially in the vicious politicking that preceded the 2019 election. He was loyal to Buhari and also not forgetful of his origin as many political actors and their minions are wont to.

Your correspondent is aware that the Buhari presidency left the bashing of Atiku to Femi Adesina, who served as Special Adviser on Media to Buhari. Though Garba Shehu was older in terms of media experience at the onset of the Buhari presidency, for one reason or the other, Adesina, who was a successor to Shehu as president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE was appointed Special Adviser and the later, as Senior Special Assistant.

It was an arrangement that was bound to breed envy, backstabbing and friction. As journalists know, there can only be one editor in a newspaper. However, because of the personalities of the two men involved there was no crisis and two editors edited Buhari hamoniously for eight years.

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As Shehu revealed at the book launch, one facilitator of the harmony that flowed in the media department of the Buhari presidency was Dr Fayemi, himself a former journalist.

Recognising the potential for conflict in appointing two celebrated journalists in the media department of the presidency, Dr Fayemi had called the two of them to his hotel suite after the announcements and given them the sober advice of working in harmony. He told them that they were to act like two men married to one wife! And so for the eight years that they worked, there was no notable report of brinkmanship!

By Emmanuel Aziken

Culled from Vanguard, first published on July 12, 2025