Opinion
On Senator Bulkachuwa’s ‘Confession’
By Olusegun Adeniyi
At the valedictory session of the 9th Senate last Saturday, a ‘Most distinguished’ (as they address themselves) told his colleagues that many owe their stay in the green chambers to the ‘benevolence’ of his wife, a retired judicial officer. Despite the best efforts of the (now former) Senate President Ahmad Lawan to apply the ‘off the mic’ principle to gag the father-confessor, the damage to the reputation of the Nigerian judiciary was already done.
Senator Bulkachuwa started by drawing his colleagues’ attention to the fact that his wife, Zainab Bulkachuwa, who retired three years ago as president of the court of appeal, had been very supportive of them. Given that she presided over several election tribunal cases while in office, questions are now being raised about whether a few of the judgments were ‘arranged’ by her senator-husband. For the benefit of readers who may not have watched the proceedings, here is what transpired. “Mr. President, at my age I don’t think I will lobby anybody under the sun. I will do the right thing, and I always do the right thing and sincerely and honestly too. So, I (can) look at faces in this chamber, who have helped me and sought for my help when my wife was the president of the court of appeal…”
Evidently uncomfortable with the direction Bulkachuwa was going, the senate president interjected, “I think I will advise that you just round up and take your seat…this kind of insinuation will mean that there was favour and the rest of it. I don’t think it is a good idea.” If the 83-year-old senator understood the admonition of the senate president, he ignored it as he merely doubled down on his claim. “Well, Mr Chairman, I must say that (it is) okay to round up, since that is what you want me to do. I will do that and must thank, particularly my wife whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office; and she had been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues.” The senate president interjected again and this time, more firmly: “Please, I don’t think it is a good idea going in this direction. It is not a good idea.”
Even before the Freudian Slip by Bulkachuwa, Nigerians already knew we have a challenge in the judiciary. Only a few months ago, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, complained about the workload of the Supreme Court, seeking an amendment to the 1999 Constitution so that certain cases could terminate at the appellate court. But he was challenged by Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). “Let any one table the Bill to amend the Constitution seeking the deletion of interlocutory appeals and we will tell the entire Nigeria why in reality there are excruciating delays in the Justice delivery system,” Daudu vowed. One of the reasons he cited is “over concentration of the judicial docket on political and electoral cases as if the entire justice sector and judiciary was created for the benefit of politicians.”
In my January 2018 piece, ‘When Judges Imperil Democracy’, I bemoaned a situation in which “our politicians are no longer content with hiring Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), they also have their own judges.” That sadly is what was imputed on the floor of the Senate by Bulkachuwa. But then, it is no secret that the only cases that many of our Judges are interested in are those that border on elections and related matters. Because they are deemed ‘juicy’. Meanwhile, many other serious cases suffer from neglect and needless adjournment.
I therefore align myself with the sentiment expressed by Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, also a former NBA president. “Senator Bulkachuwa’s statement at the valedictory of the 9th senate is a monumental disgrace for our institutions. This man deserves to be taken up immediately by the authorities. It is a blight on my confidence in our systems,” said Agbakoba, who added that he had represented a senatorial candidate in the election that brought Bulkachuwa to represent Bauchi North in the 9th Senate. “We lost in three courts. Senator Bulkachuwa seems to suggest why.”
Nigerians can remember the initial attempt at the beginning of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to tackle money related corruption among judges. The homes of some were broken into at night and searched, bank accounts were frozen, and dirty money trails were reportedly uncovered. A few were arraigned in court. After the government supposedly fighting corruption became muddled in its own internal contradictions, the entire idea collapsed. The ‘gra gra’ ended. The chase was abandoned. And Judges and politicians soon found compromise. Then, all went quiet.
Unfortunately, the moral crisis associated with corruption among judges is one reason why the refrain ‘Go to court’ has today become a cruel joke in the country. Most ordinary Nigerians have come to expect only judgments rather than justice from our courts. But with what Bulkachuwa said in the hollow chambers of the senate, it should worry all of us that some of our judges have earned a reputation as wheeler-dealers of a tainted citadel of justice!
Ganduje Versus Kwankwaso
The political battle between the immediate past Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 polls, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is getting out of hand. Fielding questions from State House correspondents last weekend, Ganduje threw caution to the wind: “I know he (Kwankwaso) is in the building, but we have not met. Probably if we met, maybe I could have slapped him.” Kwankwaso has since responded: “I heard that he (Ganduje) said he would have slapped me, but I’m here. He was in a confused state when he said that. These are my political boys (and) if they see me, they lower their gaze.”
My brother, Mahmud Jega has weighed in with the argument that a leaner, younger, and obviously fitter Kwankwaso would probably be more dangerous in any physical bout between the two men. But then, Jega also forgot that Ganduje spent years at the University of Ibadan where he got his doctorate degree in Public Administration and may have picked one or two tricks in street fighting from that city-village. On a more serious note, the war of attrition between Kwankwaso and Ganduje speaks to the fickle nature of the relationships between politicians in Nigeria. It is also reflected in the service they deliver to the public. If loyalty and trust mean nothing in their personal life, then we are all forfeits when they manage our expectations. That exactly is what is happening today in Nigeria.
The relationship between Kwankwaso and Ganduje dates to 1992 when the former was Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives under the transition to civil rule programme of General Ibrahim Babangida and the latter was a civil servant with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ministry in Abuja. When in 1999 Kwankwaso secured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial ticket for Kano, he picked Ganduje as his running mate. Having won the election, they both served the first term but were defeated in 2003. Appointed Minister of Defence by President Olusegun Obasanjo, Kwankwaso made Ganduje his SA until 2006 when he resigned. In 2007, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua appointed Kwankwaso to the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) while Ganduje was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Development Commission. When he ran again for the Kano governorship in 2011, Kwankwaso also picked Ganduje as his running mate. And when leaving office in 2015, he anointed his deputy as successor. But Less than a year into Ganduje’s term, crises between them began.
That Kwankwaso was the one at the Villa to report the action taken by the new administration in Kano to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only buttresses Ganduje’s point that the governor is a ‘stooge’. But how the two of them resolve their personal problems is of no concern to me. I just hope that they do not set Kano State ablaze.
Trouble on the Homefront
On Tuesday, there was drama at the swearing in ceremony of the new House of Representatives Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas. The speaker apparently forgot ‘the order of precedence’ at home and his first wife would not have that. So, she chose to displace the second wife in the public glare. In Zamfara State, a ‘civil war’ is also brewing between defeated Governor Bello Matawalle and his successor, Dauda Lawal-Dare. The problem began when the new administration asked Matawalle to return government vehicles he allegedly took away. The number was put at 17. At the end, the government harvested more than 40 vehicles from the residence of the former governor. But for Matawalle, the vehicles are not the real issue. “The saddest thing is that, in my Gusau house, all my wives’ rooms were broken, even hijabs have been taken away. Stoves were all put in a car and taken away,” Matawalle wailed and who would not feel for him? With the stoves now carted away, how will his wives cook? “This is robbery, they entered everywhere in my houses, even my daughter’s wedding clothing materials (Kayan Lefe) were not spared.”
While President Tinubu should help Matawalle retrieve his wife’s hijabs from Governor Lawal-dare, it may also be important to pay attention to the trouble that seems to be brewing in the military. No, it is not what some people think! On 28th May, a day before she ‘handed over’, former First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari chaired the public presentation of a book written by the president of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Anwuli Irabor. Titled ‘The Journey of a Military Wife’, the author Is the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor. Now, why is this important?
Last week, I found myself among a group of retired senior military officers, some of them General Irabor’s course mates. They were angry that his wife did not portray them well in her book. That elicited my curiosity. On Monday, I got the book. Although poorly produced and certainly could have been better edited (assuming it went through any such process), the book contains much relevant information about the military that researchers will find useful. The story of how she met her husband, the marriage and his military career are also interesting. So, I find it a good book in terms of contents. But I also discerned what riled the retired Generals.
According to Mrs. Irabor, most retired military officers exhibit certain behavioural traits after their tour of duty, and she warned their wives to be fully prepared: “Furthermore, since the tension and absenteeism which the job brought to the family is gone, nights would be free so military wives must prepare!” (emphasis’ hers). And then the punchline: “While this may sound like a joke, some retired military wives during an interview revealed that the sex life of retired officers got to another level because the military job and its tension is no more there, so all they do is sex!” (Again, emphasis’ hers).
While I plead with the retired Generals to see the lighter side of the ‘revelation’, I also hope Mrs Irabor is ready for a serious ‘indoor game’ once her husband retires.
By Adamu Muhd Usman.
“If you can think of it, you can plan it; if you can plan it, you can dream it; if you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
—Unknown author
Farming and livestock are Jigawa’s main occupations. The Jigawa people and its government are always interested in farming. So talking about farming, farmers, commodities and livestock prices are interesting issues for Jigawa people.
The prices of cash crops, grains, etc., are recording a steady drop in Jigawa State occasioned by the yearning and interest of the people of the state and also some state government commitment for both farming of animals and farm produce.
A check and investigations by yours sincerely showed and proved that the prices of many things had dropped by 20-30 per cent in the last four weeks and thereabouts in Jigawa state.
A 10 kg local rice farm (produced) in Jigawa State was sold at ₦9,000 as against the previous price of almost ₦12,000. Millet, sorghum, beans, wheat, Benny seeds, etc., indicated a similar price decrease.
People are of the opinion that the situation of a high supply of the produce from farms in Jigawa State has committed itself to producing a large quantity of farm produce and livestock to meet the demand in the region or the country at large. Surely, the increase in the supply of the produce from the farms or farmers had forced prices down in the recent past.
Others still attributed this price drop to the fear of Allah instilled in the hearts of hoarders because the clerics kept preaching against hoarding, which is seriously frown upon by God Almighty.
While some political critics viewed it as the bad economic policies of the President Tinubu administration, in which Allah used it to bring relief to the common man.
Quite obviously, Jigawa is amongst the three states in the federation that produce and supply the nation and some neighbouring counties with grains, livestock, fish and frogs. Jigawa state is also first in Hibiscus, sesame, gum Arabic, datefarm and also Jigawa is not left behind in the farming of cotton and Siemens. —-Jigawa is blessed.
But at the overround investigations, findings and outcomes, it was largely concluded that all these results and achievements were attributed to the people’s interest and passion for farming, but it is mostly because of the government’s commitments to assist, promote and enhance agricultural production in the state to make it a priority in Jigawa as a means of livelihood, occupation and income for the Jigawa populace and to be a source of internally generated revenue (IGR) for the state and also make the state feed the nation formula. Thank God, the airport (cargo) built by the former governor, Dr Sule Lamido, will now be very functional and useful.
The big question now is, can the state government sustain its support for the agricultural sector and continue to pay more attention and also sustain the package and gesture?
We hope that farmers in the state will continue to enjoy maximum support in crop production, including the use of mechanised farming. This will encourage livestock farming, which will go a long way to reduce or stop farmers’/herders’ clashes.
Also, the issue of soil erosion should be given due attention, and more roads should be constructed across the state in order to facilitate bringing out farm produce from villages and rural areas to urban areas.
As the saying goes, Success is getting what you want, and happiness is wanting what you get.
Adamu writes from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State.
By Abiodun KOMOLAFE
The concepts of power, privilege and governance are complex and multifaceted. Power refers to the ability to influence others, while privilege denotes unearned advantages.
Governance encompasses institutions, structures and processes that regulate these dynamics. Together, these concepts raise fundamental questions about justice, equality and resource distribution.
It emphasizes the importance of considering marginalized groups’ experiences and perspectives. The main problem in Nigeria today is its political economy, which is rooted in rent-seeking and fosters a mindset that prioritizes patronage over production.
The country’s politics are characterized by a patron-client relationship, where everything revolves around government handouts rather than effective governance. This has led to a situation where “politics” in Nigeria is essentially a scramble for resources in a country with severely limited opportunities for self-improvement.
When French agronomist René Dumont wrote ‘False Starts in Africa’ in 1962, he inadvertently described Nigeria’s current state in 2025. Nigeria’s missteps have magnified themselves in the theatre of the absurd, such as the construction of a new vice presidential residence and Governor Chukwuemeka Soludo’s boasts about the lavish official residence for the governor of Anambra State, currently under construction.
It is to be noted in contradistinction that the newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, is looking for somewhere to live. The official residence of the prime minister, 24 Sussex Drive, the Canadian equivalent of 10 Downing Street, is in disrepair and uninhabitable. No Canadian government can dare ask the parliament to appropriate the $40m needed to refurbish the residence.
Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeds $2 trillion, while Nigeria’s GDP is less than $400 billion. Still, Nigeria claims to be a giant! With an electricity generation capacity of less than 6,000 megawatts, Nigeria’s proclamation seems absurd, especially when compared to cities like Johannesburg, Singapore, Hong Kong and Mumbai. Even Lagos State alone should be generating, transmitting and distributing at least 15,000 megawatts, which would be a basic expectation rather than an achievement.
Nigeria today needs a comprehensive overhaul of its governance crisis to build a new political economy and social services that are fit for purpose. Although the government is on the right path in some ways, a root-and-branch transformation is still necessary.
A notable breakthrough is the decision to recapitalize development finance institutions, such as the Bank of Industry and, crucially, the Bank of Agriculture. This move is significant in a rent-seeking state, as it addresses the need for long-term capital – a prerequisite for achieving meaningful progress.
The development finance institutions require annual recapitalization of at least N500 billion, ideally N1 trillion. Achieving this necessitates a thorough cost evaluation of the government’s machinery, starting with the full implementation of the Oronsaye Committee’s recommendations.
The resulting cost savings can then be redirected to development finance institutions and essential social services like primary healthcare. Furthermore, the government should be bolder, if it can afford to be so, especially since there’s no discernible opposition on offer At the moment, the Nigerian political establishment across the board appears to be enamored by the position put forward by the leader of the Russian revolution, Vladimir Lenin, after the failed putsch. Lenin wrote the classic, ‘What is to be done?’
His observation is that revolutions do not take place at times of grinding poverty. They do so during periods of relatively rising prosperity. Significant sections of the Nigerian establishment believe that relatively rising prosperity could trigger off social discontent.
In their own interest, they had better be right. The caveat is that Lenin wrote ‘What’s to be Done’ in 1905. The world has moved on and changed since the conditions that led to the failure of the attempted takeover of government in Russia in 1905. Therefore, the Nigerian political establishment, for reasons of self-preservation, had better put on its thinking cap. Addressing power and privilege in governance requires collective action, institutional reforms and a commitment to promoting social justice. Nigeria currently lacks a leadership recruitment process, which can only be established if political parties are willing to develop a cadre. Unfortunately, the country is dealing with Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) instead. It’s rare to find leadership in Nigeria operating political boot camps to recruit and groom youths for future leadership roles.
This might be why many young people have a misguided understanding of politics, viewing it as merely a means of sharing the nation’s commonwealth. Mhairi Black was elected to the British House of Commons at 20 years old.
However, the key point is that Black had started becoming involved in politics at a young age. By the time she was elected, she had already gained significant experience, effectively becoming a veteran in the field. In Nigeria, politics is often seen as one of the few avenues for self-fulfillment. However, the economy is stagnant, with few jobs created in the public sector and limited investment opportunities.
This is a far cry from the 1950s and 1960s, when political parties were more substantial. Today, it’s worth asking how many Nigerian political parties have functional Research Departments. Besides, what socialization into any philosophy or ideology do our politicians have? Similarly to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, many of those who currently hold power are motivated to stay in politics due to concerns about economic stability.
Of course, that’s why the Lagos State House of Assembly has had to revert itself. It is the same challenge that has reduced the traditional institution to victims of Nigeria’s ever-changing political temperature. It is the reason an Ogbomoso indigene is not interested in what happened between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola.
It is also the reason an Ijebuman sees an Ogbomoso man as his enemy without bothering to dig up the bitter politics that ultimately succeeded in putting the two families on the path of permanent acrimony. Of course, that’s why we have crises all over the place! May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
KOMOLAFE wrote from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419)
Byabiodun KOMOLAFE
Rivers State is now under emergency rule, and it’s likely to remain so for the next six months, unless a drastic change occurs.
If not managed carefully, this could mark the beginning of a prolonged crisis.
In situations like this, opinions tend to be divergent. For instance, some people hold the notion that the security situation and the need to protect the law and public order justified President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in, and the appointment of a sole administrator for Rivers State.
However, others view this act as ‘unconstitutional’, ‘reckless’, ‘an affront on democracy’, and ‘a political tool to intimidate the opposition’. When we criticize governments for unmet expectations, we often rely on our own perspectives and biases.
Our individual identities and prejudices shape our criticism. However, it’s essential to recognize that not all criticism is equal. Protesting within the law is fundamentally different from protests that descend into illegality. Once illegality creeps in, the legitimacy of the protest is lost.
As John Donne wrote in ‘Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions’, “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls.” A protest is legitimate when it aligns with societal norms, values and laws. But when protests are marred by violence or sabotage, they lose credibility. Without credibility, protests become ineffective.
Regarding the validity or otherwise of the emergency rule in Rivers State, it is imperative that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors approach the Supreme Court immediately. They should seek a definitive clarification on whether the proclamation is ultra vires or constitutional.
For whatever it’s worth, they owe Nigerians that responsibility!May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
Abiodun KOMOLAFE,ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08033614419 – SMS only.
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