BOOK REVIEW: Inside Yakubu Gowon’s “My Life Of Duty And Allegiance” By Mathew Hassan Kukah (Part 2)

Article By Matthew Hassan Kukah

2: Trial And Redemption

The author’s ordeal started in the hall in Kampala after the announcement of the coup that overthrew him. Many might ask, why did the author go to Kampala? His response is that he had to travel to Kampala because of; his determination to secure the support of other African leaders in Angola’s quest to achieve independence (p13). He also was anxious to make a good case for ECOWAS which had just made him Chairman!

The author had come to Kampala as a Head of State. Now, he was merely a stranded man with no country. General Amin felt a sense of obligation to his guest. He offered a detachment of the Ugandan army to go to Nigeria to flush out the coupists, but his guest would not hear of the possibility of shedding blood to claim his throne. Happily, on July 25th, his wife, the master strategist with ears to the ground, despite the author’s protests, insisting that they should wait for his return, had decided to travel with the children to London for the summer. He therefore headed to London to join his family.

Barely seven months later, on February 13, 1976, the Dimka coup happened. A catalogue of tragic misfortunes followed. The tragic coup took the life of the Head of State, General Murtala along, a man who had become very popular in the nation for his courage and patriotism. Dimka went on to make the shocking claims that the purpose of the coup was to bring back General Gowon to power.

Naturally, these spurious allegations did go a long way to place the author and his family in the most precarious situation. He was literally on a head-on collision with the government of the day. The dramatic turn of events, their impact and consequences for the integrity of the Gowon family were profound. Chapters 28-32 address this very traumatic phase in the life of the author and his family. I can only summarise some of the high points of this period as follows:

• Stranded in Kampala with a total savings of three thousand pounds made up of collections from estacode of some of his staff and those of the High Commission in Kampala (p35)
• Idi Amin donated $10,000
• He is officially declared a fugitive.
• Nyassingbe Eyadema offers him refuge in Togo
• His name and records are wiped out from the Nigerian Army
• Streets named after him are changed. Yakubu Gowon Street is renamed Broad Street
• His two brothers, Captain Moses and Isaiah are arrested and detained for long spells.
• His daughter’s graveyard is desecrated in Wusasa.
• Government refused to sell his property at No 11 Okotieboh in Ikoyi to him.
• After 19 years of military service, he received N38, 304 out of which only N20,000 had been remitted to him into his only Bank Account as Head of State
• His pension of Seven thousand pounds was stopped after the February coup in 1976
• His total life savings from 1956-1975 came to N41,000
• Total gratuity received came to N34, 000 with which his house on Sultan Bello Road in Kaduna was built
• He is homeless in London, madam is an emergency real estate expert
• Emmanuel Oti from Arochukwu offers him his house in London (p605)
• Receives some assistance from a few former Governors here and there
• Ahidjo sends a whopping $50,000 to him (609).
• Ten years after his overthrow, he is unable to pay his children’s fees and has to approach the then Head of State, General Buhari who had failed to pass the test to become his orderly
• he is accused of having several properties and bank accounts around the world but the government could not trace either a bank account or a house
• Like a scene out of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a price and a bounty had been placed on his head. Anyone who shielded him would do so at great cost.
• He is finally a student in Warwick University and bags a Doctorate
• Nigerians are scandalized at the sight of him carrying a lunch tray in the cafeteria
• But all Nigerians recall is him lining up with tray for lunch as a scandal

This was a period of serious frustration even for the government in power. The federal military government was anxious to get the author to trial, while he himself was anxious to clear his name. The main problem however lay in the fact that the author could not trust the military authorities back in Nigeria. In a broadcast, the Head of State had said clearly: We have made it clear that any country which habours Yakubu Gowon is committing an unfriendly act towards the government and people of Nigeria. In the meantime, the Supreme Military Council has decided to dismiss Yakubu Gowon from the Nigerian Army. He will from now be treated as a wanted person to face allegations against him anytime he sets foot on the Nigerian soil (p.641).

This was the most trying period for the Gowon family. It was a time that he could have sought refuge in a friendly country, where, perhaps like his colleague Col Ojukwu, he could have pursued some legitimate business or plotted his way back to power no matter how long it took. Yet, in all of these periods of trials, the General and his extraordinary wife managed to cope. He suggested that they surrender their official passports which were now redundant, but his wife, the diplomat and counsellor, said no. They would place themselves at a greater risk and could become people with no country!

3: General Gowon: Truth And Redemption

General Gowon’s state of mind through this period illustrated what faith can do to a man who really and truly trusts in God and abandons himself to the supremacy of the divine will. It was of him that the Psalmist say: A thousand arrows will be thrown your side, ten thousand by your right. But it shall not come near thee (Ps 91).

As Head of State, General Gowon had the country as his oyster. He had the opportunity to own whatever land he wanted. It was during these periods of trials that his integrity, firm belief in the supremacy of the will of God shone most. Throughout his career, everything had been about keeping Nigeria united, making it a great country at all cost. No sacrifice was too much. He went through the fire of purification.

While he was Head of State, Brigadier General Mobolaji Johnson, the State Governor offered him a plot of land but he refused to take it. He saw it as abuse of office. The Governor decided he would use his wife’s name, but the author still refused. Finally, after so much pressure, he accepted the offer of a 2.7acre plot of land in Ikoyi. Even at that, he protested that the land was too large. The next Governor, Commodore Adekunle Lawal, revoked the land allocation. The land would be sold, resold and resold while still bearing his name (p627).

In chapter 32, titled: Realising a Deferred Dream, the author offers readers new perspectives about how the idea of Abuja came about and all the hard work that he undertook. Still, in Abuja, his baby, he did not have a plot of land. While all kinds of characters had streets named after them, not a single street bore his name. It took the intervention of General Babangida and Major General Gado Nasco, the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for him to have a Crescent named after him! General Nasco went on to allocate a plot of land to the author. Years later, the plot was not developed. Later, after his workers moved to site and started work, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the then Minister of the FCT, revoked the land allocation! It took the intervention of General TY Danjuma for the decision to be rescinded.

It would seem that through it all, the relationship between the author and his successors was not that of vicious hatred. There was still respect. These were very difficult circumstances and with hindsight, General Murtala still showed statesmanship towards the author. For example, the author says that: Although General Murtala never really apologised to me, our mutual friends told me that he had felt bad that I had been badly treated on suspicions of conspicuous consumption. He said he had authorised that a lump sum of money be paid to me, but I never saw any money. No one ever owned up to collecting any such money on my behalf. The money simply evaporated (p611).

On General Obasanjo, the successor to Murtala, the same ambivalence seemed to have played out. Much respect, but constricted by circumstances. General Obasanjo had delivered a fiery speech warning that any country that harboured the author would be considered an unfriendly country. However, it would seem that he was not prepared to go the whole distance to punish his former boss. For example, in Alison Ayida’s response to Obasanjo’s book, Not My Will, it seemed that General Obasanjo had been caught between the expediency of his duty as the Head of State and his commitment to a man he respected. In reality, despite seeking the repatriation of the author, he did not want the British Government to extradite him because they were not sure of his safety back home. He may not have wanted to face the dilemma of putting him to trial.

According to Mr. Ayida, General Obasanjo had told him to tell the British High Commissioner that they did not want the author to be repatriated. However, he had said: If however, the message leaked, the Head of state will deny it and then castigate him, Ayida, publicly. I accepted my assignment, knowing fully well that I would be sacrificed if the assignment failed (646). This seemed fair because earlier in the book, the author had expressed the sentiments he had for Obasanjo as a young man in the Army. He had said: I became his informal guardian angel and for security reasons, trusted him more than any other person (p339). It must have been a difficult time for men who had grown up with tall dreams for their country, but now found themselves forced to become friendly enemies.

4: Victoria: Wife, Mother, The Shield And Diplomat Who Wore The Trousers

Victoria Gowon comes out as the heroine in this book. It is a measure of the greatness of her husband that he indeed recognised and appreciated her. She comes across as an ocean of serenity, managing and turning turbulence into a calm. Her beautiful and serene face hides a gentle yet tough, firm, steely, resolute, unwavering and a focused heart of granite underneath. She was the quintessential good woman of the Scriptures of whom the writer of Sirach says: Happy is the husband of a good wife. The number of his days shall be double (Sir. 26: 1). The author says of his dear wife at the beginning: Victoria had become attuned to military life and traditions and her antennae easily picked signals that I sometime waived aside as basic human intuitions (p16).

It was in their period in the wilderness and sojourn in the UK that she proved her mettle. For example, her husband, by virtue of his status as a fugitive, could not have a bank account in the UK. He also could not earn an income. So, as he himself lamented, he became a kept man (p616). It took her dexterity to keep an idle husband and look after three children who were just growing up with no job. During this period, she knitted bedsheets and pillows for sale, she raised chickens and even tried raising cows, though she fell victim to swindle.

Despite the trauma of living with a kept husband, it is interesting that their cook, Mallam Barau who had served them for years, turned out to have been an informant for the government planted to spy on him. Sadly, after years of spying, he couldn’t track anything worth reporting back to his superior. Amidst these difficulties, she kept the lid and stopped the house from being a hothouse of anger, quarrels, boredom and intrigues.

Looking back, I imagine that the author had known all along that he had not married an ordinary woman who would be dazzled by power. Just in her 20s when they met, Ms. Victoria Zakari was surprisingly not swept off her feet by this dazzlingly handsome, whose looks had other women swooning.

The sheer prospects of what lay ahead as a wife of a Head of State did not daze her. Her feet stood solidly on firm ground of confidence. When at last this young, handsome Head of State summoned courage and told her he loved her, she remained unfazed. She looked at him straight in the eye and told him: If you mean it, then put it in writing! A whole Head of State with the entire Nigerian army under his command, with the whole nation under his heels caved in and wrote down his first love letter, perhaps with his military hands shaking (pg347). From then, I believe he knew whom he had married.

Then, finally, the returned to Nigeria, thanks to Alhaji Shehu Shagari graciousness, a man who had been one of his commissioners as they were then called. Back home and seeking to settle down, the author was lured into politics. Not unexpectedly, his wife resented the idea and told her husband as much.

However, the offer had come from General Babangida through the late Alhaji Dan Kabo. Appreciating that the General had been partly responsible for his rehabilitation, the author believed it made sense. Moses Ihonde, his very dependable aide, was, however, skeptical and warned that General Babangida was using him to test the political waters of his personal ambitions while actually plotting to get him, Gowon out of the way. He brushed his wife and Mr. Ihonde’s anxieties aside and decided to dive into the pool of politics without any safety jacket.

On a good day, we like to humour ourselves in the north that there are no religious differences among us. We pretend that we are all northerners. Yet, Gowon, the real manifestation of all that there can be in being a northerner fell victim to the usual intrigues when it mattered. Despite the position he had occupied as Head of State, despite saving the north when it mattered, despite his family pedigree in Zaria, the prospects of his victory in the elections brought out the worst in the muslim political elites. According to the author: Christians and Muslims were threatened with a fate worse than death if they voted for a Christian candidate….houses will be burnt [707]. In the end, the people of Zaria bowed to the intimidation of their elites because they also knew that violence was one of the strategies and valuable political currencies in political competition and bargaining. In the end, logically, a little known Alhaji Dalhatu Tafida, a medical doctor scored 165 votes, while Gowon scored 29!

Not unexpectedly, rather than be saddened by her husband’s loss, Madam actually danced and toasted to the results of this treachery. Ruminating and with some form of remorse, the author said: I had ventured into an unfamiliar territory in which I had no training and for which my temperament did not seem best suited (707).

5: What Next, Who Next: Wither Nigeria?

In conclusion, let me return to the beginning. The author had concluded his Preface by stating that: History has been kind to me and I bear no grudge against anyone. If this book achieves anything, let it be to show that public service is never a call to vainglory but an aspiration to guardianship by those who would lead with conscience and conviction (pxx1). Secondly, he said: If the way things turned out for me out of office was the gratitude one got from serving with honesty and integrity, none of my successors wanted to suffer the same fate (p612).

We have read several accounts by historians and Generals about the civil war, the controversies about their roles. We have read General Obasanjo. We have read Ojukwu. We have read Shagari. We have read General Babangida. We have read General Danjuma. We have partially read President Jonathan. Now we are reading General Gowon. We will read General Abubakar next month. What lessons have we learnt?

In the Foreword mentioned earlier, the author had said he had no wish to open new wounds. The problem is that up till date, the old wounds have not healed. Delaying opening wounds simply means that our path to national healing has been delayed. Autobiographies of those who have had an opportunity to govern are not meant to be efforts at seeking affirmation or vindication. The important thing is that they offer a national catharsis. Autobiographies often destroy myths, exorcise demons, provide other perspectives. They humble us and help us to appreciate that in reality, there is always in real life, my truth, your truth and the real truth which is often caught up in the cracks of half-truths. There is often the real truth is an elephant and all often autobiographies are just like the Six Blind Men of Hindustan, each merely holding only a part of the elephant.

My final obligation on this podium is to thank General Gowon for finally putting to bed a pregnancy that has lasted for almost 50 years. I believe he will feel some relief and many readers will find new insights into his struggles. Men and women of faith should learn from this book what it means to lead or serve according to the mind of God. In all dimensions, it is difficult to find a better manifestation of a Christian in service. So, General, warts and all, we thank you and we love you dearly.

Read the first part:

BOOK REVIEW: Inside Yakubu Gowon’s “My Life Of Duty And Allegiance” By Mathew Hassan Kukah (Part 1)

  

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BOOK REVIEW: Inside Yakubu Gowon’s “My Life Of Duty And Allegiance” By Mathew Hassan Kukah (Part 1)

Article By Mathew Hassan Kukah

I consider being asked to review this monumental book a great honour which I do not take lightly. The size of the book may look intimidating, at over 800 pages but believe me when I say that when you start reading it, you will not like to put it down. It is a personal story told with sincerity and deep passion. For a man who has come through the furnace of so much suffering and pain, one would expect that the book will be the account of a man who has been a victim of treachery, backstabbing, perfidy, intrigues, bitterness, anger, deception, betrayal. So, one would expect the pages of the book to be dripping with the vituperations of a broken soul.

The reader will be right to expect that this book will be the biography to end all biographies and accounts of Nigeria’s chequered history through three coups and a civil war. If you are expecting any revelations from declassified documents, private papers and notes, the reader might be disappointed. The reasons is that, from the beginning, the author confesses that: I want to emphasise that I am telling my story without access to my crucial personal records since many important documents taken from my desk after my removal in July 1975 were discarded by those who succeeded me. Other documents that survived were destroyed by two fire incidents in Bakori and Kaduna(xxi). Yet, none of this diminishes the book which obviously was written straight from whatever he could remember.

Reviewing any biography is a real challenge for many reasons. Any reviewer of an autobiography must be careful because the reviewer can easily be told off by the author who might say, this is what I wanted to say as I saw and experienced it. If you disagree with me, go and write your own text. However, biographies of persons of the calibre of a former Head of State will naturally command attention because what they did or did not do, what they said or did not say, may have altered lives and careers.

The book is made up of 36 chapters covering 850 pages. The real text ends on page 735 while the other pages contain Notes, Appendices and an Index. Chapters 1 through to 8 cover various themes from the author’s birth in Wusasa, his early days through school to the beginning of his military career. Chapter 9 starts with Aburi and its challenges and from 10 to 23, we have diverse accounts covering different phases of the crises from the civil war through to its end. Chapter 23 opens with the controversial declaration that 1976 was no longer a realistic date for the military to hand over power. Many would argue that perhaps this was the decision that created the conditions for the coup of 1975. Chapters 24-33 carry a thematic potpourri covering the founding of ECOWAS, the years of near homelessness, the story behind Abuja all the way through to Bakassi. Chapter 34 renders an account of how the author fell victim to the Babangida pie of Option A4 leading to people wondering what the General had forgotten in State House. Chapters 35 restates the author’s passionate commitment to a nation he had pledged to serve with all his strength. Finally, chapter 36, titled, Moving Nigeria Forward closes with the two slogans: To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done and Go on with One Nigeria.

The sheer size of the book suggests that one has to adopt a different strategy for its review. As such, I have decided to review the book against five key themes as follows: 1: Gowon and Three Coups, 2: Gowon: Times of Trials and Tribulations. 3: Gowon: Truth and Redemption, 4: Victoria Gowon: Wife, Shield, Diplomat and Chief Security Officer, 5: Nigeria: Who Next, What Next?

1: Gowon And The Three Coups

The book opens with the author’s brief biography and much of what is here is already known to most readers and those who know the subject. He opens with a warning which says: I have tried to tell my story as truthfully as I know how and see it and without any intention of claiming the glory for every achievement or heaping blames on other people for perceived failures….I made a conscious decision not to open new wounds but to clarify my thinking on policies and plans at a period too often narrated by others (pxx). Notwithstanding, most readers might be quick to say that perhaps had these old wounds been opened, some form of healing might have occurred in our country. Acknowledging the existence of the wound, no matter its age of state of decomposition is still important for healing or amputation.

The circumstances of the author’s emergence as the Head of State are already well known to the average reader. However, the author offers the reader a rare pip into many controversial activities and circumstances that have been addressed by previous writers with differing emphasis. The major strength of a Gowon biography is that it should be definitive, provide some finality to innuendos and speculations, end disputation and interpretation, remove hagiography, separate the chaff from the grain and closure if possible, bring us closer to what one might refer to as the truth. Yet, as we know, history has no finishing lines. Yet, since no one writes a perfect book, this work will serve as a major landmark in our history.

For example, one area of controversy that is addressed for the first time is the professional relationship between Gowon and Ojukwu over the issue of seniority. I recall that Ojukwu had often made the case of his seniority. However, the author answers this question by presenting us the facts. While his military number was N20, Ojukwu’s was N29! Whereas the author started Cadet training in Ghana in 1954, he was commissioned in 1956! The author goes on to state that Ojukwu was commissioned in 1958. He was later given a three-year seniority because of his university degree! (p245). On April 1, 1963, both men received their first senior postings, Gowon as Adjutant General and Ojukwu as Quarter Master General.

According to the author, after the announcement of their new positions, Ojukwu suggested that they should both trade places! Naturally, the author refused. This little detail is helpful for historians.

The author experienced three coups. The intrigues around each of the three coups have been discussed, written about and that will continue for a while. For example, in popular public memory, the first coup of 1966 has always been tagged an Igbo coup. The second coup has been tagged a revenge coup which the northern military officers embarked on to avenge the killings of their leaders and the apparent non prosecution of the culprits of the 1966 coup. This revenge coup, sadly, claimed the life of the then Head of State, General Aguyi Ironsi and others. Then there was the third coup which ended both his military career and tenure as Head of State. The Dimka coup became a petard hung around his neck. It would mark a defining moment in his life and relationship with his country and his former colleagues.

These coups and others that followed constitute one of the most controversial phases of Nigeria’s tortured and beleaguered history. Taken together, their cumulative impact has posed the greatest threat to national integration, development and cohesion. A review of the literature of the intrigues, calculation, plots and execution of these coups is subject for another day. However, whereas the author opened the book with the intrigues and plots of the coup that overthrew him, the story of the first coup of January 15th is told in chapter 6 titled: “A Bloody Weekend to Remember”.

Attempts at explaining these coups have left Nigeria with more questions than answers. However, this book puts some form of closure to the speculation and popular myths. What I think is left now is for scholars of Nigerian history to take the search for answers into the classrooms and seminar halls of students of Nigerian history and diplomacy. Yet, in all, there are still what the late US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would have referred to as known unknowns.

On July 31, 1966, the author took the reins of office. It was on this date that he delivered what would turn out to be the most controversial speech of his tenure, parts of which were fraught with grammatical distortions. Against the backdrop of the tensions and anxieties, the author said in parts of the speech: Suffice it to say that putting all considerations to test-political, economic as well as social, the base for unity is not there, or is so badly rocked, not only once but several times. I therefore feel that we should review the issue of our national standing and see if we can stop the country for drifting away into utter destruction (p218). This is the speech that provided Ojukwu the ammunition for the Aburi debacle.

Amidst the struggle to ensure there was no war, the next important phase of events was the famous Aburi meeting in Ghana. There is no need to wade into the maze of Aburi. What one can say is that with hindsight, both author and Ojukwu went into the meeting with two different motives and had conflicting expectations of outcomes of the meeting. According to the author, the idea of Aburi was to have an exploratory event meant to break the ice, remove the veil of suspicion and engender trust among the key actors, a sort of gentleman’s agreement (p240). Ojukwu on other hand came fully prepared to extract a concession, namely, a return to a loose federation that would more or less take us back to where we were. While the author travelled without his key technocrats to Aburi, Ojukwu was surrounded by some of the best brains whom he had persuaded to return home. Thus, when Ojukwu said “On Aburi we Stand”, he knew what he was saying and why. The rest is history and it is hoped that Nigerian scholars will continue to dig and dig, not for whom to blame but for what lessons to learn in diplomacy, negotiations and outcomes.

Fast forward to the 1975 coup which opens the book. The story here is quite remarkable because it shows the author as a man of faith who happened to be a soldier, not a soldier who simply had faith. This will show in the decision that he made in the face of the threats to his power base. According to the author, when he heard the rumours of the planned coup, he asked his Commissioner of Police and his Chief Security officer, M.D Yusuf of blessed memory, to investigate the rumours. Yusuf concluded his investigations and informed the Head of State: Yaran mu ne (It is our Boys).

Almost every Nigerian has an idea about what happens when any soldier is said to be involved in plotting a coup, even by mere rumour. Yet, when the author was told about a coup plot against him and that Col. Garba, (his blood relation, townsman and fellow Christian, Commander of the Brigade of Guards, saddled with protecting the Head of State) and others equally close to him had hands in the plot, his response of resignation would leave you utterly baffled and cold. He simply said: If you boys want to take over, you can try. If you succeed, you can call this your revolution and you can do whatever you want. If there was any truth, he would be answerable to God and his conscience (p9).

As an aside, Nigerians should know that imported marabouts, seers, astrologers, from Senegal and Mali had already established a presence in Nigeria’s seat of power right from the beginning (p8). Imported astrologers from Senegal and Mali also warned him that there are plans to unseat him. He was warned of plots by Murtala and Awolowo[p8]. The author is furnished with the names of the boys who were up to something [Murtala, Garba, Ochefu] and yet he did nothing.

He summoned Murtala and told him: For God’s sake, just go back to your work and continue to work normally [p18]. He still decided not to cancel his trip to Kampala believing that whatever God wants to happen will happen. His worst fear was the threat of loss of blood.

As he prepared to depart to Kampala, his Director of Military Intelligence, DMI, Col. Abdullahi Mohammed, who was to accompany him to Kampala, suddenly decided that it would better for him to stay back, monitor things and then brief him through the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Vice Admiral Joseph Akinwale Wey. The author accepted this excuse and let him stay back [p20].

The strangest of it all: Col. Joseph Garba, simply rang his Commander in Chief to say that he could not escort the Head of State to the airport on grounds that he had to represent the Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier General Mobolaji Johnson at a function in Lagos! Strangely, the Head of State agreed to this. As he headed off to Kampala, despite these visibly heavy threats of the clouds, the author said: I told him that he was excused but reminded him that further to our discussion on security, he should simply hand over in the event of a coup as I did not want him or any soldier to be killed on my account(p21). The coup happened and a new chapter opened in the life of the author. 

Read the concluding part:

BOOK REVIEW: Inside Yakubu Gowon’s “My Life Of Duty And Allegiance” By Mathew Hassan Kukah (Part 2)

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Lagos Deputy Speaker Wins APC Assembly Ticket

In what appears to be a twist of fate, as embattled Desmond Eliot is losing the APC ticket to return to the Lagos State House of Assembly, over his role in the attempted impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the house and the enthronement of the deputy speaker, Mojisola Meranda, the deputy speaker has won the APC House of Assembly primary for Apapa Constituency I.

She polled 2,926 votes to defeat three other candidates in the exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The primaries, held at Ijora Oloye Nursery and Primary School, Ijora, on Wednesday, began around 1:00 pm and was peaceful despite a large turnout.

Delegates and agents had arrived from 9:00 am, while DSS, police and NSCDC personnel provided security at the venue.

Four candidates contested the sole ticket: Meranda, Esan Adedotun, Mike Egbayelo and Elizabeth Toluwalope.

Meranda arrived at the venue around 12:45 pm to cheers from supporters. She said, “I thank you all for the support; it is massive.”

The APC youth leader in Ijora, Adams Aremu, told the News Agency of Nigeria that Meranda enjoyed strong grassroots support and described the primaries as a “victory day” for her.

He added that her projects across the constituency cut across wards and had attracted widespread community backing, including support for small businesses.

Another party executive, Joseph Layode, said residents had spoken through their votes and praised her performance in office. He said, “She could become the next Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.”

A delegate, Folasade Ojomo, said continuity was best for the constituency and backed Meranda’s leadership.

In a separate result from an earlier exercise held across five wards in Apapa Constituency I, Meranda also polled 6,062 votes against her closest rival, Ayo Vaughan, who got 1,385 votes.

Meranda dedicated the victory to members of the party in her constituency.

She said in a statement on Thursday, “To the leaders of our great party, the dedicated delegates, my political family, and the good people of Apapa Constituency I, I express my deepest gratitude for the overwhelming show of love, trust, and confidence reposed in me at the just concluded APC primaries.

“This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to every person who believes in our shared vision of progress, unity, and purposeful representation. Your support humbles me and strengthens my resolve to continue serving with diligence, loyalty, and unwavering commitment to the growth and development of our constituency.”

She also pledged to continue working for the interest of her constituents.

She said, “I do not take this renewed mandate for granted, and by the grace of God, I will continue to work tirelessly for the peace, progress, and prosperity of our people.”

It would be recalled that the attempted impeachment of the speaker of the house, Mudashiru Obasa, which led to the brief enthronement of Mojisola Meranda, that made Desmond Eliot, who has now lost his come back bid, to fall out of favour with Gbajabiamila, his estranged godfather. Addressing stakeholders in Surulere recently, Gbajabiamila said he nearly lost his job in the presidency due to Elliot’s “role” in the impeachment saga.

Gbajabiamila, who served as speaker of the house of representatives from 2019 to 2023, also said he had asked Elliot to publicly dissociate himself from the impeachment plot — a directive he said the lawmaker never obeyed.

Elliot, however, said he thought the plot to impeach Obasa had the backing of President Tinubu, saying he was taken aback by Gbajabiamila’s comments, whom he referred to as “my daddy” during a recent interview on TVC.

  

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Health Alert: Dangerous And Contaminated Palm Oil Now Sold In Markets - Lagos Consumer Protection Agency Warns

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency has raised an alarm over the circulation of adulterated palm oil in some markets across the state, warning consumers to be cautious and ensure they purchase from verified sources.

The agency also sealed a shop on Lagos Island as part of enforcement actions aimed at protecting consumers from unsafe and substandard products.

This was disclosed in a statement posted on Thursday via the Lagos State Government’s official X handle.

The General Manager of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, disclosed that complaints and market surveillance activities had revealed the presence of contaminated and artificially enhanced palm oil being sold to unsuspecting consumers by some unscrupulous traders seeking to maximise profits at the expense of public health and consumer safety.

Solebo “warned that adulterated palm oil may contain harmful substances such as candle wax, chemicals, dyes, and impurities which cannot be digested by the body and are capable of causing serious health complications, including food poisoning, stomach disorders, tissue and liver damage, and other long-term health risks.”

The General Manager advised “consumers to carefully examine palm oil before purchase by checking for unusual colour, offensive odour, excessive thickness, sediments, or any suspicious appearance that may indicate contamination or adulteration.

“Consumers are also encouraged to patronise only trusted and reputable vendors while demanding quality and safe products at all times,” he added.

Reiterating the state government’s commitment to protecting residents from unsafe and substandard products in the marketplace, Solebo said, “the Agency had sealed a shop sale selling adulterated palm oil along Idutafa Lane off Oluwa Street near Amodu Tijani Oluwa Mosque, Lagos Island in Lagos Island Local Government Area, Lagos State.”

He warned traders and distributors engaging in the sale of adulterated palm oil to desist immediately or face appropriate sanctions in accordance with the provisions of the law guiding consumer protection in Lagos State.

The agency further urged members of the public to promptly report cases of suspected adulterated food products, deceptive trade practices, or consumer rights violations to LASCOPA through its official communication channels for necessary investigation and enforcement action.

LASCOPA reaffirmed its commitment to continuous market monitoring, consumer sensitisation, and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure residents have access to safe, wholesome, and quality products across the state.

  

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APC Oshodi-Isolo Primaries: Ogundipe Applauds Members Overwhelming Support

Member representing Oshodi-Isolo-01, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Stephan Ogundipe, has expressed gratitude to all members of the APC and his supporters for their overwhelming support for his candidacy at the primary election.

Ogundipe, a first-time lawmaker, who is seeking another term, made this appreciation to his supporters at the APC House of Assembly Primary election in Oshodi-Isolo constituency-01 in Lagos.

Ogundipe, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Information, said the mandate freely given to them without inducement, harassment or manipulation shall never be taken for granted.

The incumbent lawmaker said that he remained humbled by the trust, confidence and love they had shown towards him and their collective vision for a better Oshodi.

He said: “My dear party faithfuls, leaders, supporters and the good people of Oshodi-Isolo Constituency-01.

“I write this message with deep emotions and profound gratitude to appreciate every one of you for your courage, resilience and unwavering support during the party primaries held today (Wednesday)

“Despite all forms of intimidation, coercion and desperation displayed by those who sought to impose their will and institutionalise political empire for personal control of our party structure in Oshodi.

“You all stood firm and defended the sanctity of democracy with your votes and your presence. Your overwhelming turnout today was not just a political statement; it was a bold declaration that the people of Oshodi can never be silenced, intimidated or bought over.

“You came out in large numbers to liberate our constituency and protect the collective future of our great party.

“To all our supporters across the wards, youths, women, elders and party stakeholders who sacrificed their time, energy and resources for this struggle, I say thank you from the depths of my heart.

“History will remember your bravery and commitment to justice, fairness and true party democracy.”

Ogundipe also extended a hand of fellowship to all challengers and their supporters, appealing that this was the time to sheathe their swords and unite as one family for the progress and victory of the great party at the general election.

According to him, “In this contest, there is no victor and no vanquished. We all win together as members of one indivisible political family.

May Almighty God continue to strengthen and bless you all abundantly.”

One of the voters, Mr Olutomi Ipaye, said the large turnout reflected the lawmaker’s performance and impact within the constituency over the years.

“It tells you what Hon. Ogundipe has done in the past years. Most of the people here see this as a payback time for him,” he said.

According to him, the lawmaker’s projects and interventions could be felt across communities within the constituency.

“There is no community within this constituency where you will not see the footprint of Hon. Yishawu. People came out because they appreciate what he has done,” he added.

Another member, Mr Jimoh Aliu, also described the crowd as “organic,” insisting that members turned out voluntarily because of the lawmaker’s achievements in the constituency.”

  

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Spinal Cord Injuries Association Of Nigeria Calls For Rehab Facility

Proposed site for the rehab facility in Amuwo Odofin in Lagos 

The Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN) has called on the Nigerian government to establish a dedicated hospital for the rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injuries.

Abdulwahab Matepo, the group’s president, made this appeal at a press conference held in Lagos.

Mr Matepo highlighted the neglect and lack of attention to rehabilitation issues in Nigeria despite the high incidence of spinal cord injuries due to road crashes, violence and other causes.

“I did my own (rehabilitation) in Germany. She (secretary) did hers in India. You have people like that. If you ask anybody who has done rehab, it’s either India, Germany, the UK, the US, or South Africa,” he said.

He noted that disability is a universal possibility that can impact any individual at any moment, highlighting the critical necessity for accessible rehabilitation services.

Spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord is damaged, disrupting communication between the body and the brain. It damages the nerves in the spinal column, leading to varying degrees of permanent motor, sensory, and functional impairment.

To help survivors of violence, falls, and road traffic accidents in Nigeria regain their quality of life, comprehensive rehabilitation is essential. Such services are urgently needed to foster independence and prevent potentially life-threatening complications.

Mr Matepo noted that the government allocated some hectares of land to the group for the construction of a rehabilitation centre, but their involvement seems to end there.

He, however, noted that the Lagos State government has contributed by fencing the premises and landscaping, but the purpose of the land has yet to be achieved.

According to Mr Matepo, adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury is difficult.

He noted that the absence of mental health resources and societal barriers to embracing this new reality exacerbate the risks of suicide and depression among survivors.

He explained that at the rehabilitation hospital, the spinal cord injury patients would undergo mental health, physical, occupational and vocational therapy, amongst others.

He said the physical therapy includes training in using wheelchairs and other assistive devices, which is often necessary but not always provided, while occupational therapy helps individuals learn new skills to maintain economic independence and community integration.

Mr Matepo added that mental health therapy is crucial for coping with the psychological impact of the injury, including depression, which is a significant issue amongst spinal cord injury survivors.

He also shared a personal experience of being advised to find ground-floor accommodation after he was discharged from the hospital, six months after the accident that left him wheelchair-bound.

The group’s president said that in 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a programme called ‘Rehabilitation 2030,’ and developed a tool to assess how each country is performing.

The initiative aims to recognise rehabilitation as an essential service and integrate it into the healthcare system.

“Recently, they were in Nigeria to deploy the tool, and what they found was far below expectations,” Mr Matepo said.

He noted that Nigeria lacks a rehabilitation policy and that rehabilitation is not mentioned in its health policy.

Rehabilitation centre overview

On his part, David Majekodunmi, an architect and consultant, emphasised the role of a rehabilitation centre in restoring dignity, rebuilding independence and creating hope for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Mr Majekodunmi noted that the proposed centre would feature a comprehensive range of facilities, including specialised spinal rehabilitation boards, physiotherapy and occupational therapy units, hydrotherapy and mobility training facilities, and vocational and skills-acquisition facilities.

  

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Fresh Legal Battle Begins Over Controversial Honda Merger

A fresh legal battle has commenced before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over the proposed restructuring and merger involving Honda Manufacturing Limited and Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited.

Justice Akintayo Aluko had, on May 12, 2026, granted an ex parte order sanctioning the restructuring scheme.

However, the Executive Committee of the HAWA Autobate Union and the local management team of HAWA have approached the court seeking an order setting aside the said sanction.

The applicants, in Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/262/2026, through their counsel, Obafemi Oluwole, contended that the order approving the merger “was obtained through material misrepresentation, suppression of material facts and grave procedural irregularities”.

They argued that HAWA failed to disclose to the court the existence of unresolved labour disputes and objections by critical stakeholders before obtaining judicial approval for the scheme.

In a supporting affidavit deposed to by the President of the HAWA Autobate Union, Comrade Afees Muraina, the applicants averred that those workers had, through letters dated March 16, March 23, April 6 and April 9, 2026, raised concerns over “job security, continuity of employment and the implications of the proposed merger on workers’ welfare”.

The deponent stated that despite the pending negotiations and objections, “the respondents proceeded to secure the sanction of this Honourable Court without full disclosure of the subsisting disputes and stakeholder resistance to the merger arrangement”.

The applicants further maintained that no valid statutory meetings were convened in accordance with the Articles of Association of the company or pursuant to the earlier order of the court made on April 8, 2026.

According to the affidavit, the union and several affected stakeholders were neither served with notices of meeting nor invited to participate in any deliberation concerning the restructuring exercise.

Among the reliefs sought, the applicants prayed the court for “An order setting aside the sanction order granted on May 12, 2026, approving the restructuring and merger scheme.”

They also sought “An order directing the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission to stay all further actions, filings or implementation processes relating to the said merger pending the determination of this application.”

The applicants further urged the court to compel the respondents to reconvene stakeholders’ meetings “in strict compliance with extant corporate governance procedures, statutory requirements and the Articles of Association of the company.”

In a separate application, the local management team sought leave to be joined as a party in the proceedings and also prayed the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining the CAC and the Honda entities from taking any further steps towards implementing the merger scheme pending the hearing and determination of the substantive applications.

When the matter came up, counsel to the applicants, Obafemi Oluwole, moved the ex parte application for an interim injunction and urged the court to preserve the res pending the determination of all pending applications.

Ruling on the application, Justice Aluko held that “The justice of the case demands that the subject matter of the suit be preserved pending the hearing and determination of all pending applications before the court.”

The court consequently ordered that further implementation of the merger scheme be halted pending the determination of the applications.

Aluko, thereafter, adjourned the matter till July 6, 2026, for the hearing of all pending applications.

  

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Unilag Medical Lecturers Down Tools Over Pay

Medical and dental lecturers at the University of Lagos have commenced an indefinite strike, demanding full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for academics in the College of Medicine, including arrears from July 2024.

The industrial action, declared by the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics, was announced on Wednesday during a press conference held at the Consultants Lounge of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

The development comes as the Lagos Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities accused both the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government of failing to fully implement key components of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, particularly unpaid allowances, salary arrears and welfare entitlements affecting university lecturers nationwide.

The union said the non-payment and inconsistent implementation of agreed financial provisions were deepening tension in the university system and worsening brain drain across institutions.

Speaking at a briefing in Lagos, the President of NAMDA-UNILAG, Prof Ugboro Omotayo, said the strike became inevitable after prolonged efforts to engage the university management failed to produce results.

Omotayo accused the university of refusing to comply with the Federal Government directive mandating the implementation of CONMESS for medical and dental academics, despite its adoption by several other universities across the country.

He said the development had created salary distortions that were worsening the shortage of qualified medical and dental lecturers in the institution.

They also called for the payment of the Clinical Academic Teaching Allowance and the introduction of a Professor Allowance for qualified academics.

Other demands include “alignment with the corrected CONMESS structure and payment of all outstanding arrears, proper placement of newly employed academics on CONMESS instead of the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure, and reversal of what the association described as inappropriate designations such as ‘Distinguished Consultants.”

The union maintained that the continued use of CONUASS for medical and dental academics contradicted the Federal Government’s approved remuneration structure for clinical lecturers.

Earlier, the association had, in a letter dated May 15, 2026, notified the Vice Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, of the commencement of industrial action.

A meeting held on Tuesday between the UNILAG management and the NAMDA failed to stop the continuation of the strike, which officially commenced on Monday.

The association said the decision to commence the strike followed “a breakdown of negotiation, expiration of the ultimatum to management on May 14, 2026.”

According to Omotayo, the industrial action was not aimed at demanding special treatment or higher salaries but at ensuring fairness and compliance with established government policy.

“This strike is not about seeking higher pay but about equity, justice and adherence to government policy,” Omotayo said.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the university management were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

ASUU faults FG

At a press conference held at UNILAG on Wednesday, where it reviewed the status of implementation of the agreement across federal and state-owned universities in the Lagos zone, ASUU said the implementation of the agreement had remained inconsistent.

The Lagos Zone covers the UNILAG, Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Lagos State University of Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and Tai Solarin University of Education.

Reading the union’s communique, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Adesola Nassir, decried the inconsistency in the implementation of the agreement, especially in relation to allowances and outstanding salary obligations owed to lecturers.

It said that while the agreement was the outcome of nearly a decade of renegotiation, government actions since its signing had fallen short of expectations.

ASUU said several key components of the agreement, including Consolidated Academic Tool Allowances, Earned Academic Allowances and Professorial Allowances, had not been fully mainstreamed into the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary Structure as agreed.

The union, however, accused the government of implementing the agreement in a fragmented and inconsistent manner.

It listed the agitation to include, “payment of arrears of the 25-35 per cent salary award, arrears of promotion, remittances of third-party deductions (check-off dues, cooperative society deductions, pension contributions).”

Other demands are salary shortfalls arising from IPPIS application, and the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries occasioned by the 2022 industrial action of ASUU.

“We are perturbed that the government failed to take into consideration the strength of each university to adequately cover the shortfall in the salary component of recurrent cost. The consequence has been haphazard implementation,” the union held.

The union also questioned the government’s commitment to reimbursing universities for funds spent in attempting to implement the agreement.

“We are equally disturbed that the government’s attitude has not convinced the system that it has the commitment and capacity to reimburse the universities for the various amounts mobilised to ‘rescue the situation’,” it added.

ASUU further listed a series of unresolved financial obligations, including arrears of the 25–35 per cent salary award, promotion arrears, third-party deductions, pension remittances, salary shortfalls arising from IPPIS implementation, and the withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries from the 2022 industrial action.

“To make deductions from salaries and fail to remit the same is fraudulent and criminal, to say the least. To also refuse to pay staff for services already rendered is oppressive and inimical to industrial harmony,” it held.

It warned that continued neglect of these obligations was driving lecturers out of the system and weakening Nigeria’s academic capacity.

“The various fronts from which our membership is being oppressed cannot augur well for occupational satisfaction and commitment to the university system,” the union held.

“Government must address these challenges now, otherwise the universities would continue to bleed from loss of competent staff of all cadres to other academic climes.”

The union specifically urged the Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to urgently implement the agreement across its three state universities: Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Science and Technology and Lagos State University of Education, warning that delay could worsen industrial tension.

ASUU said Lagos State, given its economic capacity, should not lag in implementing agreements reached with academic staff unions.

“If any state should be first to implement the agreement, and even enhance it, it should be Lagos State for many obvious reasons,” the communique read.

The union called for urgent resolution of lingering labour issues in Lagos universities, including promotion bottlenecks at the University of Lagos and unresolved disputes involving staff welfare.

ASUU warned that failure to address unpaid allowances and arrears was accelerating brain drain, with experienced academics leaving for better conditions abroad.

It said the continued strain on lecturers’ welfare was undermining teaching quality and threatening the stability of the university system.

The union added that universities must be allowed to function without financial and administrative pressure that compromises staff morale and productivity.

ASUU urged both federal and state authorities to urgently address all outstanding financial obligations, warning that continued delay could trigger fresh industrial action.

“Our membership is being oppressed by governments, federal and state. This cannot be allowed to continue,” the union declared.

  

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Lagos Urges Hajj Pilgrims To Prioritize Health And Energy

Pilgrims from Lagos, participating in the 2026 Hajj in Saudi Arabia, have been urged to prioritize health and conserve energy ahead of main rites. Dr Abdullahi Jebe, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Islamic Matters, advised pilgrims to stay hydrated, conserve energy and remain physically fit during Hajj preparations.

“It is imperative for pilgrims to conserve their energy, stay hydrated and remain healthy ahead of the main Hajj rites, which are rigorous and physically demanding,” he said.

He said the visit to historical sites exposes pilgrims to spiritual locations and deepens understanding of Islamic history before main rites.

Pre-Hajj visits enable familiarity with locations especially Mount Arafah, which may become difficult due to large crowds during Day of Arafah.

“The essence of these visits is to allow pilgrims to see these sacred sites firsthand and appreciate their religious significance before the major rites begin,” he said.

After excursion pilgrims remain in Makkah until movement to Mina on May 24 corresponding to 7th day of Dhul Hijjah 1447 AH.

The Secretary of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr AbdulHakeem Ajomagberin, said Lagos State secured Category A+ tents in Mina and Arafah ensuring comfort of pilgrims.

“We have secured Category A+ tents in Mina and Arafah for the comfort of our pilgrims,” he said.

He urged the pilgrims to obey laid-down guidelines and remain prayerful throughout the spiritual exercise.

Chairman of the Dawah and Enlightenment Sub-Committee, Prof Kabir Paramole, said the sites underscored historical and spiritual foundations of Islam.

“Islam is a religion of peace, with historical and spiritual sites that affirm it as a divinely ordained religion revealed by Allah to Prophet Muhammad,” he said.

He said the pilgrims would also visit Jabal Thawr, Jabal Nur, Mount Arafah, Mina, Muzdalifah and Jamarat area for symbolic stoning of the devil.

(NAN)

  

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