By Ehichioya Ezomon

During a congratulatory visit to Governor Monday Okpebholo at the Government House in Benin City on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the Edo chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and chairman of Orhiomwon local government, Newman Ugiagbe, pledged the loyalty and collaboration of the 18 council chairmen, to ensure the success of the Okpebholo administration.
“We are here to congratulate the Governor and the Deputy on the mandate Edo people gave them, and to pledge our loyalty to your administration,” Ugiagbe said, adding, “Our doors are open to your instructions, policies, and programmes, as we are ready to bring your policies down to the grassroots, to enable our people to benefit from the dividends of democracy as we will work to ensure your administration succeeds.”
Responding, Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, who represented Governor Okpebholo, said: “I have listened to you keenly, the ALGON Chairman. The Governor is a leader of all of us. Election has come and gone and we are all one family. The Governor has asked me to assure you that we are one family. He has also asked me to tell you that we will work closely together.”
As if to test the council chairmen’s pledge for collaboration with the administration, Idahosa said: “I guess you are aware that few weeks ago, the Assets Verification Committee was constituted. Mr. Governor is committed to transparency and accountability in this government and that committee would not have the resources to go across the 18 local government areas of Edo State.
“The Governor would want you to submit your statement of accounts from 4th of September 2023, to date, to the Assets Verification Committee within the next 48 hours (2 days), as that would help and enable the committee do its job effectively and efficiently… The Governor thanks you for your time.”
But in a matter of days, the promise of “collaboration and working together as a family for the government to succeed” flew out the window, and politics took the front burner, as the 18 chairmen – all members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – reneged on their assurances to Okpebholo, and refused to submit their statement of accounts for verification, as the governor directed.  
Following the chairmen’s resistance to the directive, citing their financial autonomy as upheld by the Supreme Court, Okpebholo, in a December 16 petition titled, “Insubordination and Gross Misconduct by the 18 Local Government Chairmen Over Their Refusal to Submit Financial Records for Scrutiny,” reported the chairmen to the assembly, which, pending investigation, suspended them and their deputies for two months, under Section 20(b) of the Local Government Act, for “insubordination and gross misconduct” for refusal to submit their financial records for scrutiny.
Now, a huge political and constitutional crisis is brewing in Edo State, as the council chairmen have dragged in the judiciary to intervene – and it did intervene by setting aside the two-month suspension the House of Assembly clamped on the chairmen and their deputies.
As reported by ICIRNIGERIA.ORG on Thursday, December 19, a Benin City High Court, presided by Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, has ordered reinstatement of the 18 council chairmen and their deputies to their pre-December 17, 2024, positions, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice adjourned to February 17, 2025, for a hearing.
 Directing that hearing notices be issued to the defendants, the court ordered a mandatory injunction, compelling the defendants, including Governor Okpebholo, the Edo State Government, the Attorney-General, and the Accountant-General to restore the claimants to their respective offices, and restrained the defendants from acting on the resolution passed by the House of Assembly suspending the chairmen and their deputies. 
Obviously complicating matters for Governor Okpebholo is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who on Thursday, December 19, declared as “illegal and unconstitutional,” the suspension of the chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 councils in Edo State.
Fagbemi, fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, said that, based on the Supreme Court ruling of July 11, 2024, granting autonomy to the 774 councils in Nigeria, the prerogative to remove or suspend any elected council official rests with the councilors, adding, “under the present dispensation, the governor has no right to remove any local government chairman, that much I know.”
Nonetheless, Governor Okpebholo’s fighting back by instituting, on December 18, a seven-member panel to investigate the stewardship of the council chairmen, even as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has jumped into the fray, to investigate the embattled council officials.
Hours after the High Court ordered reinstatement of the council chairmen and vice chairmen on Friday, December 20, a defiant Okpebholo declared that their suspension was within his oversight function of the local governments, as reported by Nigerian Tribune.
Admitting that the suspension of the chairmen has sparked an intense debate, Okpebholo said that, “a closer examination of the Constitution, and the Federal Attorney-General’s comments, reveal that the decisions by the Edo State House of Assembly, vis-a-vis the Governor of the State, are entirely justified.”
“From a legal perspective, the governor’s request to the House of Assembly, to suspend the chairmen, was done within his constitutional powers. The House of Assembly had the right to turn down the request but opted to act on it. It is therefore unfair to blame the governor,” Okpebholo said.
He argued: “If the governor had the powers to suspend the council chairmen unilaterally, he would not have resorted to drafting a letter to the House of Assembly. Again, for the record, the chairmen were not removed from office but suspended due to suspicious activities, and the governor has the right to exercise the power of oversight.
“The concept of autonomy is often misunderstood, and in this case, it does not mean that council chairmen cannot be oversight. The House of Assembly has the power to oversight the activities of the governor, and similarly, the governor has the right to exercise oversight over local government chairmen. The ongoing EFCC investigation of the 18 local government chairmen underscores the importance of accountability in governance.”
Actually in a letter dated December 17, 2024, and signed by its director of investigation, Abdulkarim Chukkol, the EFCC has summoned the council chairmen for questioning, requesting certified documents, detailing payroll records, bank statements, and council finances from January 2024 to date, with chairmen from six councils, including Akoko-Edo, Egor, and Esan Central, summoned to appear on December 19, while others were scheduled for December 20.
Senator Okpebholo (APC, Edo Central) comes with a mantra of “Edo Rising Again,” and a five-point agenda to revamp the state for “rapid development and economic growth” from where former Governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole (2008-2016) reportedly stopped. 
Unencumbered by any “godfather” breathing down his neck, Okpebholo, “hitting the ground running” barely 24 hours of his inauguration on November 12, 2024, with the ground-breaking of construction of first-ever flyovers in Benin City, Edo capital city, continued in his no-time-to-waste haste to achieve tangible results in his first 100 days in office.
But like the typical politician he boasts he isn’t, Okpebholo may’ve begun giving in to distractions, to tackle what perhaps he sees as partisan antic of the council officials, who, as members of the PDP, and backed by the Edo chapters of the PDP and ALGON, have called the governor’s bluff.
Affirming their commitment to fulfilling their constitutional roles, as “no authority can prevent us from serving our councils,” the council chairmen declared that, “We will remain in office till September 2026… as our tenure runs from September 2023 to September 2026, as stipulated by law.”
Both in context and in the contest, the outcomes of Okpebholo’s directive, playing out real-time, have evoked scenes reminiscent of the hit song, “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am,” off a 1971 album, “Roforofo Fight,” by the legendary Afrobeats maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, as the 18 council chairmen and their deputies have rejected their two-month suspension by the Edo State House of Assembly.
Relating to Fela’s depiction of the oppressor and the oppressed, Okpebholo, as “yanga” the oppressor wielding executive power, went and woke up “trouble,” the council chairmen, the oppressed (who, in their areas of jurisdiction, are also oppressors). And that’s what Fela preaches against in “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am” – and indeed in all of his musical career of advocacy against societal ills, and the oppression of Nigerian people.
In the song, Fela warns that, “the suffering of the oppressed be respected and that if it is not, then the oppressed is justified in their decision to revolt, to take arms against the persons who mock their suffering and remain unempathetic to their oppression.” (Culled from, “The Shuffle: ‘Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am’ Was Fela At His Most Succinct,” written by The Native, October 18, 2017).
The council chairmen – all of PDP, which still nurses its defeat by the APC at the September 21, 2024, governorship election that returned Okpebholo as winner – were on their own when the governor gave them that 48-hour ultimatum to submit their financial records from September 23, 2022, when they came into office, till date.
The council chairmen’s failure to obey Okpebholo’s directive, and their subsequent suspension from office, has created a constitutional crisis that may require intervention of the Supreme Court to clarify the relationship between the state and local governments under the financial autonomy the court granted to the councils in July 2024.
As the battle line is drawn, what next for Governor Okpebholo, as the odds seem stacked against him? Will he put his foot down, and breach the rules and the Supreme Court judgment that’ve granted local governments financial autonomy? That’ll be illegal and unconstitutional, and against the avowal by the governor to work harmoniously with the opposition!
Will the council chairmen back down, and submit their financials, as directed by the governor? That’s unlikely, as the 18 councils are very strategic, politically and financially, to the presence and participation of the PDP in Edo polity, especially ahead of the 2027 elections, even as the party pins its hope on “retrieving” its alleged “stolen mandate” at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal holding in Benin City.
What Okpebholo doesn’t need now – certainly not in the future – is unnecessary self-induced distractions. The opposition – with nothing to lose – is at liberty to do anything to distract and divert his attention. But it’s in the governor’s interest, the interest of Edo people, and the daunting tasks before him, to prevent that from happening!

Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Can be reached on X, Threads, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp @EhichioyaEzomon. Tel: 08033078357

By Tunde Olusunle

Call him a double-barrelled personality and you will not be wrong. He is both an accomplished technocrat and a distinguished bureaucrat to wit. How else would one describe a professional architect of four full decades, who has also spent his entire working life in the public service?
He rose to the very top of the leadership of the national umbrella body of his primary profession, and his occupation, respectively. He was national President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, (NIA). He equally coursed all the way in the civil service to become a Permanent Secretary and a long-serving one. These attainments were bagged strictly on merit. His enterprise has not gone unnoticed as he has been deservedly decorated by the highest honours of his professional calling where he is a Fellow. He has also received national garlands in recognition of his good work, notably that of the *Officer of the Order of the Niger,* (OON). He retired upon grossing 35 memorable years in service, back in 2021. He was barely catching his breath when duty beckoned for him to return to avail the nation his variegated experiences in yet another capacity. This has been the story of his life.

Several decades in the ovens and furnaces of the public service have invested him with the archetypal reticence of a prototype bureaucrat. They are not given to much talk, the essential credo of his lifelong profession requiring public officers like him being “to be seen and not to be heard.” He is exceptionally, comprehensively grounded as a public servant who traversed nearly a dozen ministries, departments and agencies, (MDAs), in a most eventful and insightful career. What can be more all-encompassing and enriching with regards to cognate working experience than when an individual straddles the ministries of: Works and Housing; Defence; Water Resources; Agriculture; Power; Communications and Education, at the highest levels?

With the bifurcation of the erstwhile Ministry of Works and Housing, and the excavation of a “Ministry of Livestock” out of the extant Ministry of Agriculture, he can fittingly be credited with many more service addresses. And all of these preclude the lengthy list of national and international ad hoc responsibilities which garnish his cumulative experiential scope. He was in the earliest generation of civil servants who, with the return of democracy in 1999, was groomed in “Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence.” This derived from the determination of the new regime to introduce more transparency in public procurement processes. He “evangelised” this credo in all his official bus stops.

It is Sonny Togo Echono’s birthday Monday December 16, 2024. When he’s addressed by the combination of the initials from his first two names, *ST,* he knows you come from years and decades back with him. It is supposedly a special day in the eyes of his family, colleagues, subordinates and friends. Customised greeting cards arrogate a section of his office at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFUND) headquarters in Abuja, to themselves. For the Executive Secretary of the organisation, however, the day is a regular working day like every other. And there was plenty of work to be done. He prefers to operate from the conference table in a corner of his office which enables him ease of access to files and documents placed before him. He’s also able, with despatch, to attend to staff who desire his official guidance, as he looks up from papers placed before him from time to time. There’s no time for a meal as yet but he tosses a few nuts in his mouth from time to time.

TETFUND was established in 1993, and was initially christened the *Education Trust Fund, (ETF).* It is funded majorly from a two per cent tax on the assessable profits of companies registered in Nigeria. It was at inception, targeted to arrest the rot and degeneration in educational infrastructure, arising from long periods of neglect and miserly resource allocation. It was rechristened to its present nomenclature during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. TETFUND administers, appropriates and oversees resources so aggregated for the rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of tertiary education in the country. It avails capital for educational facilities and infrastructure, including essential physical infrastructure for instruction and learning. TETFUND also supports research and development as well as the training and advancement of academics, among other segments of its responsibilities.

In a little over two years at the helm, Echono has striven to institute a new work ethic in TETFUND to ensure that it achieves its foundation mandate, especially against the backdrop of challenging economic headwinds. He has introduced sweeping reforms which has upset the preexisting apple cart in several ways. Echono has been very fastidious on issues of due process and effective service delivery. The system he inherited was fraught with entrenched power blocs which determined the running of the organisation to the detriment of its core vision. Echono has been uncompromising in his insistence that the institution must be run strictly according to the books. This is one resolve which was bound to unsettle the “indigenes and landlords” within, and their external allies, who hitherto, construed the organisation as a potential “automated teller machine,” (ATM).

Echono clarifies: “There were cartels in charge of TETFUND projects. They collaborated with all manner of political leaders to come to the organisation to collect ”special intervention projects,” as it is referred to. “There were no defined modalities in place which enhanced operational opacity.” Speaking further, Echono notes: “When I was asked to come here, I was given a very clear mandate to clean up this place and I’m doing just that. The system is the better for it because we have substantially minimised waste and our stakeholders acknowledge this much.” A confident Echono said he had indeed invited the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), to check through the operations of the organisation: “I invited the ICPC to come and inspect our systems. They’ve visited us twice and are satisfied with how we are straightening up the system.”

Echono is aware that he has stepped on toes while trying to do the right thing. He insists there is no backing down on his mission. His words: “I’ve made enemies on this job. But we have a duty as people privileged to serve, to help in salvaging our country.” Discreet findings indeed reveal that there are internal mumblers and external discontents on his case. There are those who supposedly feel entitled to a perpetuation of their term in office. There are also as those who fancy being gifted the leadership of the organisation as political gratification. Some of them reportedly, had begun to make reassuring commitments to friends and associates, thereby preempting their consideration for the job and the express approval of the President. There are also suggestions about internal saboteurs who are in the habit of trading in classified information concerning the organisation. Some of them are indeed said to be politically exposed persons, fantasising about deploying the organisation for the advancement of their vaunting political aspirations.

While Echono is contending with this hydra, a certain Emeka Marcel Nweke has created a Facebook page with Echono’s name to defraud members of the public. Benneth Igwe, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, (AIG) in-charge of Zone 7 Police Command Headquarters on Tuesday December 17, 2024, disclosed this to newsmen. Echono it was who wrote a petition to the police about “criminal conspiracy, impersonation, fraud, false representation, cyberstalking, obtaining money by false pretence and threat to life,” upon which the police acted. Nweke was reportedly tracked to Awada, Anambra State and was found to have fleeced unsuspecting members of the public of over N10 million in the month of August 2024, alone. Such are the issues he’s multitasking to address.

Echono’s enterprise thus far, has accorded renewed respect and visibility to TETFUND. More and more high profile institutions and individuals, home-based and from the diaspora, regularly engage with the organisation in recent times to discuss partnerships. These include even the military establishment which is in the business of revolving tune-ups for its human capacity, consistent with global dynamics. The multidimensional Echono is equally very busy on lecture circuits these days, regularly called upon to chair, speak or to deliver papers at various events. His trophy-chest brims with glittering medals, gleaming plaques, glossy trophies and beaming mementos, awarded to him by several groups and associations, through the years. These acknowledgements are for inimitable altruism, selfless leadership and exemplary corporate governance, despite the odds.

*Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja*

By Adamu Muhd Usman

“Never forget three people in your life: 1. Who put you in difficult times, 2. Who left you in difficult times, and 3. Who helped you in difficult times.” — Unknown author.

Today is the day, and that day is today, when many people — including yours truly, who is one of the front-runners — wish to see three things about Dr. Sule Lamido (CON) manifest, remain, and continue both during his lifetime and after his eventual passing:

1. The struggle for the liberation of the downtrodden.

2. The survival of democracy, alongside the maintenance of its values and tenets.

3. His ideologies, principles, institutions, and legacies, ensuring they remain useful, remembered, and that his political and traditional dynasty continues to exist and function for generations to come by the grace of God.
What inspired me to express these thoughts is the recent appointment of Alhaji Abubakar Sule Lamido as the Chigarin Dutse and District Head of Bamaina under the Dutse Emirate on Friday, December 13, 2024.
To provide some context, on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, the then Governor of Jigawa State, H.E. Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar, suspended Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido as the District Head of Bamaina, citing reasons that many considered baseless. The majority believed the decision taken by the Jigawa State government under H.E. Badaru was politically motivated.

Nine years later, the current Jigawa State government, under the able leadership of Malam Umar Namadi (FCA), popularly known as Dan Modi, has restored the position and approved the appointment of Alhaji Abubakar Sule Lamido, the younger brother of H.E. Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido (MPhil). The appointment follows a recommendation by the Dutse Emirate Council.

The new District Head, Alhaji Abubakar Lamido, has been urged to use his religious faith, family heritage, moral upbringing, and modern education to bring lasting peace and development to Bamaina and Jigawa State at large. May Allah guide and protect him, and may his reign flourish and endure for years to come.

At that time, we tried to draw the attention of H.E. Badaru, reminding him not to govern with sentiments, victimization, humiliation, or intimidation. Leadership requires tolerance, not unnecessary reactionary tactics. Sadly, those words fell on deaf ears.

Unlike his predecessor, Governor Namadi is not focused on creating problems but on fostering reconciliation, rehabilitation, restructuring, and unity. Dan Modi is focused on possibilities, and as the saying goes, “When you focus on problems, you get more problems. But when you focus on possibilities, you create opportunities.” These opportunities will, Insha’Allah, help Jigawa rise again. In this regard, Governor Namadi can be seen as a “Rebirth Governor” — a topic for another day.

At this juncture, I must commend and thank Malam Umar Namadi for restoring the position of the District Head of Bamaina. I will, however, use this opportunity to draw his attention to critical issues.

Your Excellency, you must remain vigilant. Jigawa is at a crossroads. The moral decadence among the youth must be addressed, and those politicians who facilitate unrest must be cautioned. It is the responsibility of a leader to ensure stability and peace in society.

The rising issue of “emiratism” must also be addressed, as well as the unacceptable and condemnable political trends we are witnessing in Jigawa today. A situation where elders and leaders are neither respected by their followers nor respect themselves signals trouble.

The ruling party must focus on delivering the dividends of democracy. Any negative political maneuvering will distract leadership and disturb the peaceful coexistence currently enjoyed by the people. Many view unrest as a tactical tool to deprive citizens of progress. Governor Namadi, please remain focused and undistracted.

If care is not taken, Jigawa may deteriorate. The current leadership must be conscious of the dangers of moral decay and poor governance. It is imperative to address the actions of individuals and groups that threaten peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding, and political stability. For example, the diversion of palliatives and sabotage in agricultural programs — practices that gained ground under the previous administration — must be curbed.

Your Excellency, while you are doing your best, there will always be those who seek to sabotage your efforts and tarnish your reputation. Open your eyes and ears, but remain receptive to constructive criticism and useful advice.

Jigawa is our state, our home, and our pride. Let us not forget how Dr. Sule Lamido (CON) rescued, rebuilt, rehabilitated, and united it.

Finally, I appeal to Governor Namadi (Dan Modi) to enforce discipline, maintain law and order, and ensure Jigawa remains peaceful, united, and progressive. This is the new era of democracy, human dignity, and accountability. Though times are economically tough, leadership must rise to the occasion.

“People find pleasure in different ways. I find it in keeping my mind clear.” — Marcus Aurelius

Adamu writes from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State.