Politics

Ismail Hashim Abubakar

In a previous article published by The Daily Reality on October 06 (Why All Patriotic Must Support The Youth Movement), I stress the significance of supporting the emerging youth movement as a necessary political option left for Nigerians. I strongly recommend that Nigerian citizens should, in their entirety, support and align themselves with the struggle. This is becoming necessary as the masses are increasingly getting disappointed with the present administration’s policies headed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but also sceptical of the democratic culture practised in Nigeria since the return of civilian politics in 1999.

In the present essay, I specifically address the youth movement’s founders and offer some points I hope they may consider valuable and worthy of reflection.

I begin by calling on the movement to intensify its efforts to sell out this ideology through massive advocacy, comprehensive sensitization, and awareness campaigns that go beyond social media and cyberspace and extend to what will be akin to door-to-door community tours embarked upon by field staff of polio immunization and vaccination programs.

Interestingly, the founders of this struggle have made it clear right from the onset that once one is a Nigerian and is mainly concerned with the plight of his fellow compatriots, they are automatically a member of the movement, and it is left for him to see in what ways or capacities could they contribute in the struggle. This means that with the exception of some politicians, especially the ruling class at various state and national levels and possibly their blind cronies and biased allies from all sectors and constituencies, all Nigerians are now or should be, by default, adherents and promoters of this movement.

Moreover, in the process of mass mobilization, it seems that people are to be made fully aware that this movement is purely a self-rescuing mission and a liberation effort. It is not a venture that one can invest financially in the typical fashion of Nigerian politics, aiming to reap personal benefits after an election victory. It is neither a soft machine nor a cheap ride on whose back one can mount and easily grab power. It promotes selfishness and displays arrogant romance with authority and privileges invested in public office holders. It is instead a clarion call for those who are willing to put a stop to a dangerous political trend which, if allowed to go unmitigated, will deprive the posterity – the future citizens of this nation – of the residual right to live, breathe and move about freely in their land.

It remains a question, I am sure, with youth leaders to deliberate on whether the struggle will adopt one of the existing political parties or push to create a new, special party, with mainstream party structures from grassroots to higher levels, which will identify with the cause of youth as movers and engines that steer and spearhead the liberation struggle. One of the possible effective platforms to gauge the movement’s strength may be adopting an existing party or forming a new party that will field candidates to contest in the 2027 general elections.

However, I also have a firmer belief that this movement should not just be well-conceived and rapidly embraced by the masses but only have a brief influence that will wane and fizzle out quickly. This is very possible when things are hastily done, especially if the ideology of the struggle is not yet fully understood and inculcated in the minds of the majority of Nigerians. I am sure the brains behind this nascent movement are aware of the inevitable possibility of corrupt politicians hijacking the likely fruit-yielding struggle or covertly infiltrating it to impede and sabotage its progress. I am also conscious that pioneers of this struggle are erecting insurmountable forts that will resist all forms of internal and external intimidations and temptations.

Meanwhile, I strongly recommend that while the leadership of this struggle continues to enlighten Nigerians and encourage them to embrace its ideologies and identify with and support its cause, the forthcoming 2027 elections may be utilized as an experimental ground to test the public understanding and acceptance of its mission, but which should be done on a purely nonpartisan basis. By this, I mean that the movement shall publicize its aims, objectives, principles, and priorities and open its doors to every politician willing to contest for an elective post.

The politician must be ready to comply with all the movement’s missions and can ultimately work towards ensuring that it realizes its vision of creating an egalitarian society in which a poor man will have a say in how he is governed and his social, educational, and economic rights, which guarantee his healthy and meaningful survival, are protected.

Any politician who is set to promote these values and can sincerely commit himself to these ideals and sacrifice the last drop of blood in him is eligible and can present himself to the movement for support. A contract agreement of a promissory note shall be written and documented by the movement on behalf of Nigeria’s populace, which employs such politicians through an electoral process. The agreement must explicitly state that if the politician breaches any terms after being elected, he may be liable for prosecution, besides public wrath that drastically affects his future political ambitions.

The movement has to work assiduously to screen willing contestants without any prejudice to the party on whose platforms they contest. After that, it will make the public fully aware of the agreement it entered with contestants and the detailed clauses and terms contained in the contract, including penalties in case elected officials fail to uphold and keep their campaign promises. 

In this way, the movement will be able to, through the successful candidates whose election it actively supports, infiltrate state and national assemblies, thereby producing determinate, resolute, patriotic, populist and incorruptible legislators who have no business in their legislative chambers than to uphold the rule of law and ensure that executive councils implement policies and execute programs and projects that positively serve Nigerians. This means that a massive reform and nonviolent political revolution can be prosecuted mildly as the youth movement succeeds in hijacking and dominating the second arm of government, thus reviving the constitutional roles and responsibilities legislative assemblies are expected to discharge rather than becoming appendages of the executives. If this mission triumphs, it will expose the opportunist camp among politicians who will hopefully be rendered a minority and target of the electoral wrath of Nigerian citizens.

If the mission of the youth movement is fully understood and wholly embraced by the majority of Nigerians, particularly if it becomes the only most guaranteed and safest winning platform during elections but also an unprecedented movement that liberates ordinary Nigerians, its ideals and objectives will permeate the ranks of the executive and be easily upheld by various types of people in every sector including royal and traditional societies, technocrats, civil servants, members of the academia, legal industry, private and group entities.

Ironically, this may be the trial stage in the display of commitment and maintenance of integrity and principles needed. Scaling through this situation will be a grand marker of a democratic triumph that will go down in history as one of the greatest and most progressively fruitful political revolutions to have been demonstrated by the “Giant of Africa” throughout the region’s postcolonial period. 

A sizable number of Nigerians among ordinary citizens, religious scholars, politicians, academics and intellectuals, journalists, community leaders, public office holders, businessmen, retired military officers, human rights activists, private organizations and all kinds of people within the civil society who are equally worried over Nigeria’s situation and are especially concerned with the plight of the masses and will be much willing to bring their wealth of experience and expertise to promote the cause of this struggle. I do not doubt that the founders of this movement are aware of them, and I am optimistic that the youth movement will carry them along without regard for their age or social status.

Ismail writes from the Advancing Education and Research Center (Rabat) and is reachable via ismailiiit18@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam

The former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has reached a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concerning an alleged fraud involving N1.6 billion.

During the resumed hearing on Monday, EFCC Counsel Ogechi Ujam informed Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja that Nwabuoku and his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, had proposed a settlement since the last adjourned date.

Ujam stated that the agreement had been submitted to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede for approval.

“We are seeking a date to file our plea bargain agreement and amended charge,” Ujam said.

Nwabuoku’s lawyer, Isidal Udenko, and Emeka Onyeaka, who represented Nweke, also confirmed their decision to opt for a plea bargain. Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until December 2 for the adoption of the plea bargain agreement.

The anti-graft agency has brought forward an 11-count money laundering charge against both defendants, who are accused of laundering funds while Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence from 2019 to 2021.

Nwabuoku, the first defendant in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24, was appointed acting AGF on May 20, 2022, following the suspension of Ahmed Idris over allegations of N80 billion fraud.

However, Nwabuoku was removed just weeks later, in July 2022.

Sylva Okolieaboh was appointed as acting AGF to replace Nwabuoku amid reports of ongoing corruption investigations by the EFCC.

According to reports from July 10, Nwabuoku and his co-defendants requested additional time from the court to finalize the refund of the public funds allegedly misappropriated, asking for the arraignment to be postponed to allow for the completion of this process.

By Uzair Adam

The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology has rolled out a 10-year strategic roadmap aimed at revitalizing Nigeria’s raw material sector, with the goal of achieving 60% value addition by 2034.

Announcing the plan during a Program Presentation and Dialogue Session in Abuja, Minister Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji highlighted the need to enhance the value of raw materials before export to promote job creation, stimulate domestic manufacturing, and strengthen the naira.

Currently, only 25% of raw materials undergo value addition, which Nnaji described as “unacceptable.”

The roadmap, developed in collaboration with the African Development Bank, includes building capacity in circularity, developing real-time data systems, and upgrading testing laboratories to support research and technology innovation.

Nnaji urged the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), development partners, and financial institutions to collaborate on these ambitious goals.

By Haroon Aremu

Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), two titans in Nigeria’s oil sector, have become unwitting pawns in a high-stakes game of greed, corruption, and control that threatens forever to alter the landscape of the country’s economy. 

The fallout from this secretive manipulation could send shockwaves across Nigeria and the global oil market. But the question remains: how deep does the corruption run, and who pulls the strings?

As Nigerians struggle with fuel scarcity and skyrocketing prices, a disturbing reality emerges—those tasked with managing the nation’s resources deliberately keep refineries inoperative, creating bottlenecks to enrich themselves. At the heart of this heist lies an even more sinister story: a calculated move by a select few to dominate and monopolise Nigeria’s oil industry by manipulating state-owned enterprises and private ventures like Dangote’s Refinery.

Is the NNPC’s Shady $2.76 Billion Stake in Dangote Refinery a marriage of convenience?

In 2021, when the NNPC acquired a 20% stake in Dangote Refinery for a staggering $2.76 billion, many believed it was a monumental step towards bolstering Nigeria’s refining capacity. But beneath the surface, critics questioned the logic of the government investing public funds into a private venture while neglecting its decrepit refineries, which had been left to rot due to years of corruption and mismanagement. 

Was this a genuine attempt to revive the oil sector or a well-disguised ploy to channel public funds into private pockets? The decision becomes even more dubious when you consider that NNPC’s refineries have been operating at less than 20% capacity for years despite repeated promises of rehabilitation. 

These non-functioning facilities force the nation to import most of its fuel, which conveniently benefits the very cabals that control the import contracts. As these refineries remain dormant, Dangote’s refinery, with its projected 650,000 barrels per day capacity, is positioned to monopolise the market once it becomes fully operational. 

Was the NNPC’s investment a masterstroke of collusion to further empower this monopoly? I wonder if Dangote’s unholy alliance with the government is a favouritism or Strategic Investment.

Aliko Dangote’s influence in Nigeria’s political sphere is well-known. His ability to secure favourable policies has long raised eyebrows. Many believe his success is due as much to his business acumen as his close ties with top government officials. Recent import restrictions, for instance, have practically handed the domestic market to Dangote.

Dangote Refinery’s development, delayed since its original 2016 completion date, has ballooned in cost from $9 billion to over $19 billion. Was this financial mismanagement, or were there deeper, darker forces at play—possibly designed to funnel excess funds into the hands of corrupt officials?

As the cabal’s grip tightens, their influence on oil prices becomes increasingly evident. Dangote’s market dominance will give him unprecedented pricing power. But with such control comes the risk of manipulation. 

The refinery’s vast production capacity could easily be used as leverage to influence oil prices, both domestically and internationally. Many fear prices will be artificially inflated, maximising Dangote’s profits while further squeezing Nigerian consumers.

This scenario becomes even more plausible given the NNPC’s deep involvement in the refinery. With its 20% equity stake, NNPC’s role in pricing decisions cannot be overlooked. Will this be another case of public officials prioritising their private interests at the expense of national development?

As domestic pressures mount and whispers of foreign market dominance grow louder, one question looms: will Dangote begin prioritising foreign buyers over Nigeria’s fuel needs? 

With access to international markets offering better returns and more stable pricing, there is growing concern that the refinery may abandon the local market in favour of more lucrative exports. This could leave the country in an ironic situation, producing refined oil but still unable to meet domestic fuel needs, leading to ongoing scarcity and high prices despite local production.

If the cabals continue manipulating the domestic oil market, forcing prices to unsustainable levels, Dangote might have little choice but to look beyond Nigeria’s borders. 

The timing of the refinery’s commencement raises even more questions. As Nigeria grapples with the controversial removal of its long-standing fuel subsidy, many speculate that this policy shift is designed to align with the Dangote Refinery’s launch. With subsidies removed, domestic fuel prices are expected to skyrocket, conveniently paving the way for Dangote to step in as the dominant player, reaping the rewards of higher prices.

While the government frames subsidy removal as a necessary economic reform, many Nigerians view it as another instance of policies being shaped to benefit the few at the expense of the many. The alignment of these policies with the refinery’s launch timeline is too coincidental to be ignored.

The potential for Dangote’s monopoly to distort the Nigerian oil market. With NNPC’s refineries effectively sidelined and the cabals controlling much of the nation’s oil wealth, Dangote stands poised to dominate every facet of the industry—from refining to distribution. However, monopolies rarely benefit consumers, particularly in essential industries like oil.

As Nigeria’s oil sector hangs in the balance, powerful forces are clearly at play. The cabals’ influence, Dangote’s political connections, and NNPC’s complicity have all converged to create a complex web of corruption, exploitation, and control. 

Will Nigeria’s oil wealth finally be harnessed for the benefit of its people, or will the cabals and monopolies continue to enrich themselves at the expense of the masses? 

One thing remains certain: the truth behind the Dangote Refinery’s rise and NNPC’s role in it could be the bombshell that blows the lid off one of Nigeria’s biggest corruption scandals yet.

Haroon Aremu is a passionate writer and Mass Communication graduate, currently serving as an NYSC member. With a focus on national development, he is keen on leveraging his expertise to drive positive change and welcomes opportunities in public policy, media, and development sectors. He wrote in via exponentumera@gmail.com.

By Ishaq M. Sani

 To surmount all challenges, the good people of Zaria deserve the best leadership at the local government executive council. Therefore, it’s imperative to bring in competent, young, and vibrant representation to the good people of Zaria local government. 

The good people of Zaria equally need a leader who can foster a harmonious synergy between the local, state, and federal governments, paving the way for remarkable achievements, transformative development, and a brighter future—a leader with a proven track record of driving impactful changes and advancing grassroots priorities. With Engr Jamil piloting the affairs of the cosmopolitan Zaria, an era for Pressing forward in the direction of progressive outcomes and solid attainments for the good people of Zaria is possible. 

However, Jaga’s socio-political background and mentorship from both the executive governor, Mal Uba Sani, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas, as Deputy chief of staff, have instilled in him the values of honesty, inclusivity, and open-mindedness to diverse views, contributing to effective governance. 

Ahead of the October Kaduna LGA elections 2024, a vote for Engr Jamil is a victory for addressing critical issues relating to Human Capital Development, Infrastructure Development, Security, Agriculture, Environmental management, Climate change, greenfield initiatives, Trade and Investment, and Robust Citizen engagements.

His focus on human capital development emphasised this: Engr Jamil is set to ensure education/scholarship, health, and social investment. He has tagged “Education: Knowledge and Skills Acquisition for the Future.” He is also Ensuring that scholarship opportunities are expanded to less privileged students to support lifelong learning. 

Elucidating impacting measures, combined with a continuous programme to improve teachers’ quality and teaching standards to ensure that basic education investments produce the desired learning outcomes in line with the sustainedmanifesto of his excellency Mal Uba Sani. Moving further, Zaria needs a well-equipped leader to support entrepreneurship in ICT, which is necessary for stimulating innovation and economic growth. 

Focus on Health ensures access to quality care in the health sector to consolidate the remarkable achievements recorded by Sen Mal Uba Sani, the state government leader, and Speaker Abbas’s critical interventions. Zaria looks forward to robust social investment through social welfare and liberating empowerment through dedicated funds for women and youth. 

The Zaria infrastructural development is also expected to focus on investment in sustainable environmental infrastructure such as water supply, sewage and solid waste management, and adequate infrastructure such as culverts, drainage and connecting roads/bridges for job creation, taking centre stage. 

The mission is to collaborate with the neighbouring LGAs and state and federal governments to continually improve the quality of connecting roads and ensure the expansion of the local electricity infrastructure, especially across Dembo, Wucicciri, and Dutsen Abba, among others. 

Furthermore, it promotes environmental conservation and sustainability, protecting Zaria’s natural resources and ensuring the sustenance of the conditions for economic dynamism through investments, vibrant commercial activities, skills development, and job opportunities.

However, like many other local governments, Zaria has been one of the hotbeds of security threats in Zone 1 of Kaduna state in the last eight years, with attacks happening on a regular basis. I commend the Governor and the honourable speaker for their robust efforts in maintaining the peace and stability of the state within their first year in office. 

Moreover, Engr. Jamil is expected to ensure a secure, peaceful, and united Zaria LGA. Effective collaboration between the state and federal government will ensure the deployment of security personnel and equipment for adequate security in the local government. Deep intelligence gathering through collaboration with traditional, religious, and community leaders will support security agencies. 

In light of the preceding, the competitive advantage of Zaria’s growth potential in the agricultural sector is viable through effective utilisation of agro-ecological zones, rising youthful population, irrigated farming opportunities while transitioning from subsistence to commercial agriculture and leveraging linkages with local manufacturing in the promotion of agri-business.   

Finally, Zaria envisions a leader who is committed to providing all-inclusive and diverse representation, Feedback mechanisms, and accountability processes, ensuring effective engagement with all communities for equity, responsiveness, collaboration, and accountability; this is possible when Engr Jamil is given the mandate. 

 Join Engr Jamil Ahmad Muhammad on this great journey…

Ishaq M. Sani writes from the office of the APC chairmanship Candidate, Zaria local government. Strategic communication directorate

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a dramatic turn, with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) factionalised over issues in Rivers State and the conflict between Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed. 

Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has faced mounting criticism and calls for resignation since taking over after Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s court-ordered removal.

The crisis escalated when Damagum and other NWC members, supporting Wike, approved controversial PDP Congresses in Rivers State and postponed the National Executive Committee meeting. 

The lingering conflict between Wike and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, intensified on August 24, with PDP governors publicly backing Fubara and urging a review of the state congresses.

Wike responded by threatening to disrupt activities in the governors’ states, but the PDP Governors’ Forum labeled his threats “irresponsible”. 

In a surprising move, the NWC suspended National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), citing opposition to Damagum’s efforts to hand over control to Wike.

However, Ologunagba’s faction of the NWC swiftly suspended Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, for alleged disloyalty, appointing National Treasurer Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as acting National Chairman. 

The situation remains fluid, with the PDP’s future hanging in the balance.

By Uzair Adam

The Senate has officially confirmed Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan as the substantive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

His confirmation on Thursday followed President Bola Tinubu’s nomination, which was submitted to the Senate in August 2024.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by Senator Abubakar Bello (APC Niger North), presented its report to the Red Chamber, affirming Pakistan’s suitability for the position.

Bello, a former governor of Niger State, highlighted Pakistan’s qualifications and his vast experience in Hajj operations.

After a voice vote led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Pakistan’s nomination was confirmed with the overwhelming support of lawmakers.

Professor Pakistan previously served as the Chairman of the Kano State Pilgrim’s Board, where he managed the largest contingent of pilgrims in Nigeria.

President Tinubu had formally nominated Pakistan for the role on August 19, 2024, through a statement by his former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, before transmitting the nomination to the Senate.

By Uzair Adam

The Federal Government has stated that it should not be blamed for the recent surge in petrol prices.

On Wednesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) increased the pump price of fuel, with Abuja seeing a jump from N897 to N1,030 per litre, Lagos from N855 to N998, the North-East to N1,070, the South-West to N1,025, the South-East to N1,045, and the South-South to N1,075.

This price hike has sparked widespread reactions, with many Nigerians urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene and reverse the increase.

Speaking to Daily Trust, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, clarified that the NNPCL’s decision was not directed by the government.

He explained that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) prevents the government from setting prices for petroleum products, making the NNPCL’s decision a response to the prevailing energy market conditions.

Idris further noted that since the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, the NNPCL had been bearing the cost of keeping prices stable but could no longer continue to absorb such losses.

“The price fluctuation is driven by several factors, including the crisis in the Middle East, which has caused global volatility in petroleum markets.”

“As a limited liability company, the NNPCL cannot sustain operating at a loss,” the minister said.

He appealed to Nigerians for patience and understanding, assuring that the government remains committed to investing the savings from subsidy removal into sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security.

The minister also highlighted that the government’s investment in compressed natural gas (CNG) would help reduce the burden of rising fuel costs as more operators enter the industry.

By Uzair Adam

Vice President Kashim Shettima has officially launched the federal government’s new nutrition initiative, aimed at addressing malnutrition and food insecurity across Nigeria.

The programme, named the “Nutrition 774 Initiative,” is set to improve nutritional outcomes in all 774 local government areas of the country.

Shettima emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that every household in Nigeria has access to nutritious food, beyond just availability in stores and warehouses.

He noted that the initiative aims to eradicate malnutrition through a community-based approach that empowers local actors, such as health workers and community leaders, to take charge of nutritional improvements in their areas.

At a roundtable meeting with development partners, Shettima called for their collaboration to make the programme a success. He explained that addressing malnutrition requires collective efforts from all stakeholders, including the government and development organizations.

The initiative also focuses on training local health professionals to better equip them in handling malnutrition at the grassroots level. Despite recent floods and global inflation affecting food security, Shettima highlighted the need for innovative solutions that directly tackle these challenges.

Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, described the initiative as crucial in addressing malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable populations.

He stressed the importance of a multi-sectoral approach, integrating efforts from agriculture, health, water, sanitation, and social protection sectors to ensure the success of the programme.

By Ismail Hashim Abubakar, PhD

I have had sleepless nights these days reflecting and worrying over the ordeal my fellow Nigerians are passing through that ranges from inflation, hunger, and fuel price hikes to insecurity, not to talk of the usual and condonable suffering of lack of social amenities as essential as electricity, water supply, education and healthcare provision, employment, roads and so on.

Poor Nigerians are now literally dying of starvation, and the government seems to be myopically unprepared to decisively fight famishment by countering the inflation of food items, much less than investigating and gathering the statistics of those who lost their lives due to lack of food. 

The hardship results from years of bad leadership and corruption that bedevil Nigeria. My worries worsen when I look at the right, left, and centre of Nigerian politics. I cannot envisage any tangible attempts to reduce or checkmate these unbearable life burdens and simplify things for my fellow compatriots.  It is so disheartening to see that matters which did not constitute part of our problems a few years ago are now huge issues that citizens have to grapple with for them to make ends meet, with millions of Nigerians now wishing to miraculously return to where they were less than two decades ago.

Nigerians are desperately looking for ways to articulate and reassert their essential human need for survival to hearing the deaf ears of their leaders, who are always mischievously claiming to be good listeners but who are viewed by their subjects as oppressors and draconian rulers. This explains why all the efforts of the government, which manifested in clerical interventions, propaganda and security threats, all to thwart the mass hunger protest organised and held by Nigerians in August, ended in fiasco, albeit, of course, it was later extinguished undemocratically with excessive use of force to disenfranchise Nigerians. 

The government would have mildly aborted the August hunger protest if it sincerely attacked hunger by arresting the increasing rise of prices of commodities and by restoring the fuel subsidy, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced on the day he was sworn in even before stepping into his office. Nigerians are still shocked by how the government found solace in procuring a multimillion-dollar jet and yacht for the President as his subjects still languish in economic misery.

Nigerians are puzzled by the unresponsiveness of their leaders to public concerns. Organisations like the NLC and ASUU have lost their influence, and religious scholars and public speeches no longer hold the same sway over public opinion and elections. Nowadays, prominent clerics defend politicians, posing as their spokespersons. This shift marks a radical change in the relationship between the political class and religious elites. It’s important to remember that Nigerian politicians often have a give-and-take mentality when dealing with religious leaders. Some scholars compromise their truth by accepting gifts from politicians. While some scholars have joined the government and performed well, many have completely changed after doing so.

All these have combined to intensify the pessimism of the Nigerian masses, who are tired and so desperate, looking for solutions to their country, which is on the brink of precipice. The emergence of a movement mobilised by Nigerian youth, meant for all patriotic citizens in an actual sense, is a significant sign that things have reached the peak of their flashpoints.

From the speeches of the founders of the youth movement, one can infer that it is a mass struggle born out of tiredness with the current leadership system and which aims at displacing the despotism of the ruling and political class by way of justifiably hijacking the loyalty of citizens to partisan politics and redirecting them towards supporting selfless, sincere, committed, development-oriented, transparent, accountable and law-abiding governance which the nascent movement aspires to help produce. 

The movement seeks to prosecute a mild political revolution that will end regimes of impunity, lawlessness, corruption, bribery, lack of integrity, massive looting, thievery, embezzlement, sabotage, cruelty and all forms of vices that characterise the attitudes of the minority of people who run the affairs of Nigeria. The ambitious movement hopes to halt the situation in which a few people, just by being at the helm of affairs, monopolise the country’s wealth to service their selfish ends, greedily devouring public resources, treating the national assets as their estate, too hell-bent to exploit and feast on the local treasures while simultaneously refusing to improve public infrastructure and avoiding local healthcare, leaving the education system in dilapidated conditions. They race for medical care in foreign hospitals and send their children to study abroad. 

It is alleged that Nigerian leaders have already mortgaged millions of barrels of crude oil that the country is expected to produce within the next 30 years to foreign business institutions. Even if this allegation has not yet been proven, the kind of treatment the newly established Dangote Refinery receives from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) speaks volumes to the weight of such an allegation.

The youth movement is a herculean task that some may dismiss as practically impossible and utopian. For someone familiar with Nigeria and how it operates, the tip of the iceberg of which is only known by ordinary citizens, one may not accuse pessimistic sentiments towards reform of nurturing despair in this direction. At the same time, however, for someone who hears about or reads how some countries passed through similar tribulations and after some extraordinary efforts of some patriotic men they scaled through and overcame challenges, one cannot help but accept that the salvation struggle can as well succeed. There has to be a serious, sustainable and resilient plan, genuine will and invincible determination for all those who believe in the struggle to make strong dedications and major sacrifices.

Ismail is a Research Fellow at Advancing Education and Research Center (Rabat) and is reachable via ismailiiit18@gmail.com.