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Withholding Osun State’s allocation is a violation of the constitution, a blatant abuse of rule of law — NBA to Tinubu

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to release withheld statutory allocations meant for local governments in Osun State, stressing that the decision to withhold the allocation is a violation of the constitution and constitutes a blatant abuse of rule of law.

It would be recalled that in 2004, when then President Olusegun Obasanjo unilaterally withheld local government allocations to Lagos State on the grounds that the state’s creation of 37 new local councils was unconstitutional, the then state governor, Bola Tinubu, now Nigeria’s president, dragged the federal government to the Supreme Court.  

In a letter dated August 19, 2025, addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, the NBA said there is “no legal justification for the non-release of the allocations”.

It demanded the “immediate release” of the funds.

The letter was signed by Afam Osigwe, the NBA President, and Mobolaji Ojibara, the General Secretary.

According to the NBA, “the payment of funds from the Federation Account to the local government council in Osun State has been withheld” since February 2025, despite constitutional provisions guaranteeing their financial autonomy under Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Association stated that its ad-hoc committee on the Osun Local Government impasse had carefully reviewed relevant court judgments, statutes, and constitutional provisions and concluded that the withholding of the funds “will amount to a violation of the Constitution, a disregard for the Rule of Law and an affront on clear pronouncements of the Courts.”

The NBA further warned that “it cannot but constitute clear impunity were it to be true that funds meant for the LGAs are currently being seized or withheld,” adding that such action “sets a dangerous precedent, weakens public confidence in democratic institutions, and emboldens lawlessness at all levels.”

Citing the Supreme Court decision in A.G of Lagos State vs. A.G of Federation (2004), the NBA stressed that the “President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has no power to suspend, withhold or direct the suspension or withholding… the statutory allocations due and payable to the Local Government Councils.”

The Association also drew attention to conflicting judgments arising from the October 2022 Osun local government elections. While the Federal High Court nullified the election of All Progressives Congress (APC) council officials, subsequent appeals produced a legal impasse.

However, following fresh elections conducted in February 2025, “the only valid and legitimate officials who can legally occupy the elective offices in the LGAs in Osun State are those of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),” the NBA stated.

The letter criticised the Federal Government’s reported decision to freeze disbursements to Osun LGAs, noting that “the Constitution does not and could not have intended that the Federal Government or the President… has the power to direct the Minister of Finance not to release statutory allocations.”

Delivering the afore mentioned judgement on 10 December 2004 the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammadu Uwais, ruled in favour of Lagos State, declaring the federal government’s withholding of the local government allocations as unconstitutional.

Aside Uwais, other justices that sat over the matter between the Attorney General of Lagos State (Plaintiff) and Attorney General of the Federation (Defendant) were Idris Kutigi, Anthony Iguh, Niki Tobi, Dennis Edozie, and Sunday Akintan.

However, while the Lagos State’s case against the federal government was over the creation of additional council areas, the extant case is about the legality of the presentation of the 2024 budget being implemented by the Rivers State government.

Their Lordships in that judgement held that, “The President has no power vested in him (by executive or administrative action) to suspend or withhold for any period whatsoever the statutory allocation due and payable to Lagos State Government pursuant to the provisions of section 162 (5) of the 1999 Constitution… “

The Supreme Court also made a consequential order “Compelling the defendant to pay immediately all outstanding statutory allocation due and payable to the Lagos State Government pursuant to the provisions of section 165(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999…”

In addition, it made an “Order of perpetual injunction restraining the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or any functionaries or agencies of Executive Branch of the Federal Government from doing anything whatsoever to suspend, withhold, for any period whatsoever or calculated to suspend or withhold any monies due and payable to the Lagos State government pursuant to the provisions of section 162 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The NBA emphasised that “whenever there is any disagreement or dispute between the Federation and any State with regard to the release of statutory allocations… the avenue provided by the Constitution… are the superior courts of record.”

Concluding, the NBA announced that it has directed its National Litigation Committee and the Section on Public Interest and Development Law “to urgently initiate engagement with the dramatis personae or relevant stakeholders” to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions and court rulings.

This development comes amid controversies over the non-release of state allocations.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu ignored appeals from Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for the release of withheld local government allocations, according to top government sources familiar with the matter.

In June, Governor Adeleke paid a visit to President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, where one of the key issues discussed was the suspension of local government funds to Osun.

However, sources disclosed that Tinubu reminded Adeleke that he had himself ordered the removal of local government chairmen, a decision the President suggested was tied to the withholding of the allocations.

A review of official records by SaharaReporters revealed that the outstanding funds amounted to ₦46.9 billion at the time of the report, as captured in a document released by the Office of the Accountant-General.

The breakdown shows that Osun was due to receive ₦11.9 billion in March, ₦11.2 billion in April, ₦11.7 billion in May, and ₦12.1 billion in June, but none of these disbursements have been made.

“I Thought He Was an Armed Robber Until He Said ‘All of You, Outside’” – A harrowing assault that exposes the perils of vigilante overreach

By Dr M.O. Ubani SAN

The recent testimony by NYSC member Elohor Jennifer Edema, recounting how she was traumatized by the actions of armed operatives of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group (also known as Operation Udo Ga-Achi) in Oba, Idemili South LGA, Anambra State, is shocking and deeply troubling.

What is meant to be a lawful community security outfit to eradicate criminality in Anambra State is rapidly metamorphosing into an outfit of intimidation and violence. Elohor’s fear that she thought that they were armed robbers until they asked all of them to come out of their rooms spoke volumes of the kind of danger this group poses in recent time in the state.

The defining issue here is the adequacy of training received by these vigilante operatives. Across Nigeria, many of these groups function without formal training in procedures, rule of law, or human rights. The Hisbah Corps in northern states, for example, have faced criticism for having “a low level of formal education, no background in law, and no training in law enforcement” .

If we have to allow the vigilante groups to operate alongside the regular police force, human rights standards must be central in their training. Reports by Amnesty International made it clear that any armed vigilante acting without regard for individual rights, due process, and humane treatment should be dismantled, and perpetrators held accountable . Without these protections, we may be risking a more serious danger of having a situation where suspects will be unlawfully detained, denied fair treatment, and subjected to violence, which is what happened in the Anambra incidence.

Legal norms and acceptable practice mandate that suspects be arrested and handed over to the police, not assaulted or judged independently. Amnesty underscores that vigilante groups should “immediately hand the alleged criminals they may arrest to the police,” not keep them in custody . Yet, in practice, we are witnessing situations where suspects are kept in indefinite detentions by these people. On what legal framework, if I may ask.

It is sad to point out that even States, where armed vigilante operate, no comprehensive laws clearly define their roles. Some states like Kaduna have enacted Vigilance Service Laws, but even these are limited . In many cases, informal groups like Amotekun (South‑West) or Hisbah (North) operate in legal grey areas, with ambiguous mandates and tenuous policing authority .

I hereby propose some urgent remedial measures to avoid impending calamity that will happen if not tackled headlong. The first and perhaps the most urgent is that the federal government must enact a clear statutory framework defining the authority, limitations, and oversight mechanisms for all vigilante groups nationwide. This is necessary to create uniformity. I know that some persons will argue against this due to the desire to decentralize governance, but the independent approach by the states has created more havoc than it set out to eradicate. Secondly, vigilante operatives should undergo rigorous training covering human rights principles, proper use of force, arrest procedures, and referral protocols.
Thirdly, vigilante groups must be explicitly restricted to support functions, such as community patrol, intelligence gathering, and rapid reporting, not enforcement or detention. Any enforcement must be followed immediately by handing suspects to official police authorities. It is important for us as a country to create independent oversight bodies at state and federal levels to monitor vigilante activities. Any violations of code of conduct should trigger sanctions, prosecution, or disbandment. Where rights are violated, affected persons must receive prompt redress and compensation . We must encourage more states to adopt laws similar to Kaduna’s Vigilance Service Law, strictly regulating recognition, operations, funding, and termination of vigilante functions . The states should clearly define the roles of vigilante body in their various statutes.
Finally, the States with vigilante outfits must foster stronger, formal collaborations between vigilante groups and the Nigeria Police Force, ensuring joint accountability, clear chains of command, and shared objectives in upholding public safety without abuse .

In conclusion, the traumatizing experience endured by Elohor is not just a personal tragedy, it raises a national alarm. It signals systemic weaknesses in how informal security is structured and supervised. If vigilante groups are to remain part of States’ safety strategies, they must operate within well-defined legal frameworks, be properly trained, and remain answerable to the state and citizens.

Without urgent reforms, the risk is clear: we will have a calamity of abuse, untimely deaths, and disincentive to investment. The message to us all is simple, build order, not disorder. For the sake of individuals like Elohor, and for the integrity of public safety, the States must re-appraise the operational safety of these groups.

The government of Anambra, headed by Prof Charles Soludo, has done well in their response to this abuse so far. We are watching to see how these horrific and animalistic behaviours by those lawless agents will be accounted for at the end of the day. We demand justice for Elohor Jennifer Edema!

Dr M.O. Ubani SAN
Legal Practitioner/Policy Analyst.

Japan names City of Kisarazu as hometown for Nigerians, to grant special access visa

Mrs Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, Nigeria’s charge d’affaires and Yoshikuni Watanabe, the Mayor of Kisarazu with the certificate that designates Kisarazu Nigeria’s hometown. Credit: State House

The government of Japan has designated the city of Kisarazu as the hometown for Nigerians willing to live and work in the East Asian country.

The decision announced on Thursday, August 21, 2025, is part of Japan’s strategic efforts to deepen cultural diplomacy, promote economic growth, and enhance workforce productivity.

This is contained in a statement on Friday by the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye.

According to the statement, the new partnership was announced on the sidelines of the ninth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9).

ALSO READ: Japan City mulls over regulating smartphone use to two hours daily

Under the partnership, the Japanese government will create a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu to live and work.

“Artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria who are ready to upskill will also benefit from the special dispensation visa to work in Japan,” the statement noted.

“Japan International Cooperation Agency, in a ceremony, also named the cities of Nagai in Yamagata Prefecture the hometown of Tanzania, Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture the hometown of Ghana, and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture the hometown of Mozambique.

“Through the arrangement, Japan looks to strengthen exchanges with the four African countries by officially connecting municipalities with existing relations with those nations.”

President Bola Tinubu upon his arrival in Japan for the ninth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9).
President Bola Tinubu on his arrival in Japan for the ninth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9).

Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires, Mrs. Florence Adeseke, who doubles as the Acting Ambassador to Japan, received the certificate, presented by Yoshikuni Watanabe, the Mayor of Kisarazu, from the Japanese government, naming Kisarazu the hometown of Nigerians.

Read Also: Video: Nigeria’s empty booth at TICAD9 conference in Japan sparks online outrage

The four dedicated cities are intended to serve as a foundation for two-way exchanges for manpower development that will add value to the economic growth of Japan, Nigeria, and the other three African nations.

“Local authorities hope that the designations will increase the population of their cities, contributing to their regional revitalisation efforts.

“Kisarazu was the official host town of the Nigerian contingent for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The team conducted their pre-games training camps and acclimatisation in the city before moving to the Olympic village, in the COVID-19 delayed Olympic Games,” the statement added.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced $5.5 billion in New investment in Africa during his opening address at the TICAD9, highlighted the importance of mutual understanding, local solutions, and collaborative efforts for Africa’s development.

Ishiba outlined his country’s focus on private sector-led sustainable growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration, while acknowledging the challenges of Japan’s ageing population.

He emphasised that locally rooted solutions are essential for Africa’s development. He appealed to African countries to assist Japan as it grapples with the challenges of a declining population and shrinking agricultural land.

“Japan is providing various cooperation and support for Africa. But first of all, Japan needs to know more about Africa. So, in creating solutions together, this co-creation at the TICAD 9, we focus on three important areas: private sector-led sustainable growth, Youth and Women, and Regional integration and connectivity within and beyond Africa,” the statement noted.

Taribo West lambasts NFF and Lagos Gov’t for alleged maltreatment of Late Peter Rufai’s family

One-time Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has slammed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Taribo West, who spoke at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on, I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said.

The ex-Inter Milan star recounted similar situations with deceased football legends like Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha.

He pointed out that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through their football skills.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, who passed away in July 2025, was fondly called “Dodo Mayana.” He was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

Female destitute falsely accused of being a kidnapper lynched in Kwara

A destitute woman who is yet to be identified was beaten to death by an irate mob who mistook her for a kidnapper in the Ipata area of Kwara state on Thursday, August 21.

According to reports, the woman was sighted wandering around the community when misinformed members of the public wrongly accused her of being a kidnapper. In the ensuing circumstances, an irate mob descended on the woman, inflicting serious bodily harm.

‎The police were immediately alerted about the incident, and they rushed to the scene and immediately evacuated the woman to the General Hospital, Ilorin, for urgent medical attention. Regrettably, the attending doctor confirmed her de@d as a result of injuries sustained. Her remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary, while a discreet investigation has commenced.

‎Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the command, SP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the command strongly condemns the act of jungle justice, which not only undermines the rule of law but also poses a grave danger to innocent lives. Security challenges cannot be resolved through mob action. Rather, they worsen insecurity and erode public safety.

‎She added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, has appealed to members of the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and to always report suspicious persons or movements to the nearest Police formation.

She said an investigation into the matter has commenced.

Watch the video below.

Japan City mulls over regulating smartphone use to two hours daily

In response to rising concerns over the excessive use of mobile devices, which are said to be causing physical and mental health issues, a Japanese city is considering urging all smartphone users to limit their screen time to two hours a day outside of work or school under a proposed ordinance that includes no penalties. 


The limit will be recommended for all residents in central Japan’s Toyoake City. However, it will not be binding, and there will be no penalties incurred for higher usage, according to the draft ordinance. 

The proposal aims “to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues… including sleep problems,” Mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement on Friday, August 22. 

The draft urges elementary school students to avoid smartphones after 9:00 pm, and junior high students and older are advised not to use them after 10:00 pm. 

The move sparked backlash online, with many calling the plan unrealistic.
“I understand their intention, but the two-hour limit is impossible,” one user wrote on social media platform X. 

“In two hours, I cannot even read a book or watch a movie (on my smartphone),” wrote another. 

Others said smartphone use should be a decision for families to make for themselves. 

The angry response prompted the mayor to clarify that the two-hour limit was not mandatory, emphasising that the guidelines “acknowledge smartphones are useful and indispensable in daily life.”

The ordinance will be considered next week, and if passed, it will come into effect in October. 

In 2020, the western Kagawa region issued a first-of-its-kind ordinance calling for children to be limited to an hour a day of gaming during the week, and 90 minutes during school holidays. 

It also suggested children aged 12 to 15 should not be allowed to use smartphones later than 9:00 pm, with the limit rising to 10:00 pm for children between 15 and 18.

Japanese youth spend slightly over five hours on average a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published in March by the Children and Families Agency.

Again in 2020, Japan banned mobile phone usage while walking on the road.

A large number of citizens have supported the new law, which includes the elderly as well as the young.

Sowore flays Borno Gov. Zulum for jailing teenagers over WhatsApp protest group, rewarding Boko Haram ‘repentants’

Rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, over the conviction and sentencing of seven youths, most of whom are minors, over the August 1–10, 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.

In a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Sowore described the governor’s actions as “totally insane.”

SaharaReporters earlier reported that seven Nigerian youths had been convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, community services, and public flogging by the Borno State government over the 2024 protests.

Amnesty International Nigeria, which made this revelation in a post on its X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, said the teenagers and youths, aged between 15 and 17 years, were charged by Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration for creating a “Protest Group” on WhatsApp.

Amnesty International identified the convicted teenagers and youths as Mohammed Ali, Mohammed Gajimi (alias Bakura), 17 years old; Muhammed Mustapha (alias Gudusu), 14 years old; Muhammed Mustapha (alias Abbas), 15 years old; Muhammed Kyari (alias Mome); Muhammed Bukar (alias Awana), and Ibrahim Muhammed (alias Babayo).

Amnesty International demanded that the Borno state government “quash these convictions and all the seven youths be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Also condemning the conviction and sentencing of the minors, Sowore, a former presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the jailed youths.

He said, “It is totally insane that the overrated Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, the same man who recently allocated billions of naira to so-called ‘repentant’ Boko Haram militants, has now turned around to jail innocent youths, several of them minors, simply for creating a WhatsApp protest group to mobilize against bad governance in Nigeria.”

Sowore accused Governor Zulum’s administration of hypocrisy, alleging that it was rewarding insurgents while persecuting peaceful protesters.

“This outrageous act exposes the hypocrisy of a government that pampers terrorists while criminalizing peaceful dissent.

“These young people committed no crime other than exercising their constitutional right to association and expression in preparation for the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest,” he stated.

The activist demanded that the convicted youths be freed immediately and unconditionally, alongside compensation and an apology.

“We demand their immediate and unconditional release, and an official apology, compensation, and rehabilitation from Governor Zulum,” Sowore declared.

He also faulted the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, holding him responsible for the arrests and prosecution of the youths.

“We equally hold accountable the illegal Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, whose men carried out these arrests and may have partaken in a bogus prosecution,” Sowore alleged.

Reaffirming his stance against what he called repression, Sowore maintained that the clampdown would not silence Nigerians.

“This repression will not silence Nigerians. If anything, it only deepens the resolve of citizens to confront tyranny,” he added.

The #EndBadGovernance protests, which erupted nationwide between August 1 and 10, 2024, were primarily driven by young Nigerians who took to the streets and online spaces to express anger over worsening economic hardship, spiraling inflation, food shortages, corruption, and insecurity.

What began as small, decentralised demonstrations in cities like Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, and Abuja quickly spread across several states, including Borno, where residents joined in despite a heavy security presence.

The protests echoed the 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations, with thousands of young Nigerians using hashtags such as #EndBadGovernance, #EndHunger, and #EndCorruption to mobilise support.

Human rights groups reported several arrests, violent crackdowns by security forces, and multiple deaths during the protests.

Particularly, Amnesty International reported that at least 24 protesters were killed by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agents deployed with firearms and live ammunition against the protesters.

However, despite the damning reports with identities of the victims, President Bola Tinubu’s administration insisted that the protest was infiltrated by “subversive elements” and accused organisers of attempting to destabilise the country.

Civil society organisations have continued to demand accountability for what they describe as the criminalisation of peaceful dissent.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Chief of Defence Staff says, ‘Every Nigerian should acquire combat skills for self-defence’

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has urged Nigerians to acquire combat skills to protect themselves in the face of growing insecurity.

Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, General Musa likened learning martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo to other essential survival skills like swimming and driving.

Asked whether he would advise Nigerians to learn combat skills for self-defence, the defence chief said, *“That one should be taken as learning driving, learning how to swim. Whether we have war or not, it is a survival instinct.

“In Europe, swimming is compulsory. Learning and teaching about security (is compulsory) because you have to learn what security is.”*

He further emphasised that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should incorporate training in unarmed combat for Nigerian graduates as a means of preparing them for day-to-day survival against criminals.

*“That’s what the NYSC is supposed to do, but the NYSC has been watered down to three weeks.

“I think it is important that we are able to give every Nigerian security awareness at whatever level. Self-defence is very important. Unarmed combat. Swimming. Driving. These are critical aspects for human endeavours.

“These are things we should never take for granted because they prepare you for the future. The world we are in now is dangerous. We have individuals who don’t mean people well. They kill for whatever reason.”

General Musa also stressed that security is a collective responsibility, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings in order to identify strange and suspicious individuals.

Vanguard

Breasts . Breasts . Breasts !! By Worgu Boms

Worgu Boms’ Personal Musings on how Breasts- the mammary Gland – Literally, Literarily, Metaphorically or even Synecdochically, since Creation, Down to this Day, Have Continued to Threaten Human Progress and Development and, Sometimes, Succeed in Subverting It.


“Our Boys were catching Breasts instead of the Ball.” -Mr R.F. Jumbo, berating his students when they lost in a netball match to a female team.

  1. BILL BRYSON: In his widely received Book, ‘ A Short History of Nearly Everything ‘, published in 2003, Bryson writes that there was a time when people became infected with a powerful desire to understand the Earth- how it was, and how massive, where it hung in space and how it had come to be. Consequently, there was established, the French Royal Academy of Sciences’ Peruvian Expedition of 1735. Their Goal was to help settle the question of the circumference of the planet by measuring the length of one degree of Meridian (or one-360th of the distance around the planet) along a line reaching from Yarouqin, near Quito, to just beyond Cuenca in what is now known as Ecuador, a distance of about 320 Kilometers. The Expedition was led by a hydrologist named Pierre Bouguer and a soldier-mathematician, named Charles Marie de la Codamin- they travelled to Peru for that purpose.
  2. What Happened? In Quito, the Expedition’s Doctor was murdered in a misunderstanding over a woman.
  3. The 3rd most senior member of the party, a man named Jean Gordin, ran off with a thirteen-year-old girl and could not be persuaded to return! The rest is History.
  4. PHIL KNIGHT and NIKE:
    In his higly absorbing autobiography, ‘ Shoe Dog ‘, a memoir by the creator of Nike , Phil Knight reveals how, in his quest to establish a sports wear company, Nike, he travelled with his partner, Carter, to Honolulu, on a preliminary Business Trip.
  5. As they landed Honolulu Airport, the author-Biographer reveals: “a line of beautiful girls came towards us. Soft-eyed, olive-skinned, barefoot, double-jointed hips, with which they twitched and swished their grass skirts in our faces. Carter and I looked at each other. “
    This was a red flag, but the duo businessmen did not discern it.
  6. At the end of their business trip, they had to return home to continue with their business plan aimed at establishing what is now one of the world’s Biggst sports wear companies.
  7. What Happened Thereafter?
    The author reveals:
    “It was clearly time to get back to the plan
    “But Carter frowned and stroked his chin
    “Gee Buck, I don’t know.
    “He had met a girl . A Beautiful Hawaiian teenager with long brown legs and jet-black eyes, the kind of girl who’d greeted our airplane, the kind I dreamed of having and never would.
    ”He wanted to stick around and how could I argue?
    ” I told him I understood. But I was cast low.”
    The hapless, crest-fallen Phil knight had to paddle his canoe alone. I have been wondering whether the World would know or have Nike as we know it today, if Phil had not escaped that trap of a breast-like distraction.
  8. Prof KELSEY HARRISON:
    Kelsey Harrison is a professor of Gyneacology and Obstetrics and is widely regarded, worldwide, as one of the leading practitioners of G&O, as it is called. Kelsey is a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt.
    In his Autobiography, ” An Arduous Climb “, he reveals what happened in his college days at the famous Govt College, Umuahia.
    The College was an all-boys college. But there was, in the same town, a Women Teacher Training College. A netball match was organised between both schools and the Women Teacher Training College trounced the Umuahia Boys, mercilessly. The women did not only defeat the boys, they beat them; did not only beat them, they beat them up.
    What happened was revealed at the Boys School Assembly Hall by the statement of one of its most legendary teachers and disciplinarian, R.F. Jumbo, quoted at the outset.
  9. Kwam 1 and Value Jet V Comfort Emmason and Ibom Air:
    Kwam 1, a musician, physically stood in front of a revving commercial aircraft, Value Jet, with intent to prevent it from taking off following his being deboarded therefrom for alleged unruly behavior. The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, did not issue any statement of any type following the terrorism-like behaviour of Kwam 1.
    Days later, Comfort Emmason, a woman, had serious altercation aboard commercial airline of Ibom Air, leading to efforts to forcibly remove her therefrom as she was carefully refusing to alight with a view to evading being arrested for questioning. In the ensuing scuffle, her top, underneath of which there was no bra, was torn. The tearing revealed details of her breasts! The NBA swifty issued a statement siding with her!
    Since then, the concerns of safety of civil aviation and safety of passengers, were relegated, enthroning a disproportionate, if not exclusive, focus on the unintended breasts aspect of the incident!
    Once any incident involves breasts, no matter how serious, even as serious as saftety matters in aviation, the breasts must take preeminence! This is deeply troubling.
    [Since human History, this has been confounding even at the Spiritual sphere where, at the highest level, spiritual concerns were relegated.
    Consider: the Bible, God’s Word, not man’s, realistically and faithfully recorded (for our Instruction) how angels, upon looking down on earth and seeing pretty women, left heaven and came down to earth to have sex with the women, resulting in pregnancies, giving birth to abnormally large offspring known in the Bible as the Naphilines. Audaciously and to the further grief of the Righteous God, the angels made to return to heaven with their children until the Almighty stopped them midway and banished them!]
    Mankind has continued in that trajectory down to this day, prioritising breasts over aviation safety, even offering unsolicited employment and cash to the breasted one without worrying about Kwam 1. This is eerie.
  10. Legal End Notes:
    (A) Under the Common Law, any imputation of sexuality slurs on a woman is actionable per se- ie, without proof of actual damage suffered, the action can succeed if the imputation alone is established and the Defence of Justification cannot be sustained. For a man, there is no such privilege: you need to establish actual damage suffered.
    (B.) The US Supreme Court Decision in Planned Parenthood of South Eastern Pennsylvania et.al Vs Casey.
    The state Pennsylvania, enacted the Abortion Control Act to regulate abortion.
    The Act required doctors to give prescribed information to women contemplating abortion; forbade doctors to perform an abortion until at least 24 hours after the patient had received that information; required parental consent for a teenager’s abortion – with a bypass procedure allowing a Judge to find a teenager mature enough to make her own decision.
    That is not all: the Act required married women to inform their husbands before any abortion.
    Five abortion clinics and one doctor sued for a Declaration that the statute was unconstitutional.
    The federal District Court for the Eastern District of Philadelphia ( a kind of Federal High Court as we know it here) agreed that the statute was unconstitutuonal and struck down all the provisions of which the plaintiffs complained.
    On appeals, the Court of Appeals substantially reversed the District Court: it agreed that the requirement to notify spouses was unconstitutional but denied that any of the other provisions were unconstitutional.
    Both sides appealed to the Supreme Court: the clinics arguing once again that all the restrictions were unconstitutional, and Pennsylvania arguing that even the provision requiring that spouses be notified was not.
    The Supreme Court sustained the Court of Appeal Decision, upholding most of Pennsylvania’s restrictions.
    What of the requirement that a married woman, before aborting, must inform her husband?
    The Court struck it down as Unconstitutional.
    In other words, after a man, duly married to his wife, struggles and manages and succeeds to make her pregnant, a joint enterprise, as it were, the woman, suo motu, and without any legal obligation to at least inform her husband, the partner, can proceed to abort the pregnancy.
    I don’t understand. You, do you?
    Hear the Court, in explaining why states must show more concern for the position of a pregnant woman than that of a potential father:
    “It is an inescapable biological fact that the state regulation with respect to the child a woman is carrying will have a far greater impact on the mother’s liberty than the father’s.
    “Although a state may acknowledge a father’s interest in pregnancy as well, it may not give to a man the kind of dominion over his wife that parents exercise over their children, and therefore may not give them the role that they may properly give parents of teenage women.”
    I do not, still, seem to understand this reasoning.
    Do you?
    Some Court Judgments, like this one, resemble the ways of God: they passeth all Understanding!

Worgu, a Port Harcourt – based Court – lawyer, wrote from Port Harcourt , Rivers state.

Otu Oka-Iwu Abuja decries divided development, demands justice for Ndi Igbo amid systemic exclusion of Southeast from Nigeria’s future

Press Statement

Ndi Igbo have been subjected to a sustained pattern of exclusion from critical development policies and national infrastructure projects initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This marginalization is not incidental, it is deliberate, systemic, and deeply corrosive to the ideals of equity, federalism, and national unity.

One of the most egregious examples of this injustice is the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, a multi-billion-dollar project designed to transport natural gas across Nigeria. What is both ironic and infuriating is that the gas feeding this pipeline originates from Imo State, in the Southeast. Yet, the region is entirely excluded from the pipeline’s route, benefits, and infrastructure.

This is a classic case of resource extraction without development, a betrayal of the federal character principle enshrined in our Constitution. It is unacceptable that the Southeast should supply the energy that powers other regions while being denied the infrastructure, jobs, and economic uplift that such projects bring.

The recent announcement of a $60 billion high-speed rail network connecting Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt once again leaves out the Southeast. This exclusion is not just a logistical oversight, it is a strategic denial of access, mobility, and economic integration for millions of Nigerians in the region. Despite the Southeast’s dense population, vibrant commerce, and strategic location, the requisite federal infrastructure continues to bypass it.

The exclusion goes beyond infrastructure because Ndi Igbo are consistently sidelined from key national security, economic, and administrative positions, despite their competence and contributions. Federal budgets show a disproportionate allocation of resources, with the Southeast receiving far less than its fair share. The region is over-policed but under-protected, with federal silence on attacks and economic sabotage.

Let it be known that Nigeria cannot develop sustainably while excluding the Southeast and Ndi Igbo. The Igbo nation is a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic engine, intellectual capital, and cultural richness. To marginalize this region is to destabilise the very foundation of national progress. History teaches us that exclusion breeds resentment, instability, and disintegration. From the pre independence era to the post war reconstruction, the Southeast has endured systemic neglect. Yet, Ndi Igbo have continued to build, innovate, and contribute, often without recognition or support.

Consequently, we demand immediate inclusion of Southeast routes in the high-speed rail and reaffirm our demand for the gas pipeline projects. We call for equitable distribution of federal appointments and resources, transparent and accountable governance that reflects the diversity of Nigeria.

Until these demands are met, Otu Okaiwu Abuja will continue to speak, mobilize, and eventually litigate these exclusions.

We believe in the rule of law and the promise of justice and will call upon the judiciary when the time comes to rise above political pressure and deliver fearless judgments that will affirm the constitutional rights of all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity or region. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees equality, fairness, and federal character. The consistent violation of these principles is not only unconstitutional; it is morally indefensible.

Sir. Chidi Udekwe, ESQ
President
Otu Oka-Iwu, Abuja

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