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Tinubu’s Effort To Shift Blame For Bad Governance To Governors, Deceitful

Published
7 months agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
The 1st to 10th August 2024 End Bad Governance Nation – wide protest put tremendous pressure on President Tinubu, and exposed the failures of his administration.
The protesters demanded that the President must tell the nation how he intended to improve the deplorable state of the economy, and the ever-growing insecurity to life and property. They insisted that the President must change his extravagant lifestyle, reduce the size of his cabinet, and cut back on the cost of government. Unable to address these concerns, the President became unduly defensive and belligerent. He began to blame others for his own failures. The state governors were his favorite scapegoats.
In order to cement his accusations against the governors, Tinubu posited that they have all the money they need to develop their states if they wanted to.
According to the President, the N2.4 trillion Federal Government allocation which he approved for state governors between January and June 2024 was the largest ever in history. In addition to this allocation which translates to N431 billion monthly per state, the President announced that he gave each state an additional N570 billion.
Unfortunately, both of the generous funds which Tinubu claimed he has made available to the governors are fallacious misrepresentations.
Consider the facts: Given Nigeria’s 35% rate of inflation and the value of the naira which has depreciated by over 300% (450 to 1 dollar in 2022, and 1,500 to 1 dollar in 2024), the N2.4 trillion allocated to states from January to June 2024 is in reality less valuable than the N1.788 trillion six months Federal Government allocation to states by President Buhari in 2022.
In order for governors as alleged by Tinubu to be able to achieve similar developmental goals they achieved with N1.788 trillion (for six months, and N298 billion per month) in 2022, they would require N8.4 trillion, (six months), not N2.4 trillion. And for their monthly allocation they would require N1.508 trillion monthly, not N431 billion. Clearly the governors have less revenue to work with today, not more as alleged by Tinubu.
Disingenuous as the N2.4 trillion allocation issue is, the President’s other claim of providing an additional N570 billion to each state is even more egregious. Simply put, on the matter of the N570 billion additional funds, the president lied to the nation. As Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and other governors have explained and as the World Health Organization (WHO) records show, the said N570 billion was a World Bank Intervention Fund for COVID Recovery. The States have already spent their own money for the purpose of fighting the impact of the COVID pandemic on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), and were merely refunded through their Federal Government. This was how WHO refunded states all over the world.
President Tinubu mustaccept the responsibility for the myriads of problems which his policies and actions have brought upon Nigeria instead of blaming state governors. After all he has said that the buck stops with him as President.
It was his ill-conceived decision to remove fuel subsidies which has virtually brought the economy to its knees. His devaluation of the naira has led to an astronomical increase in the cost of living. Food and every day household items are becoming increasingly unaffordable. His draconian tax policies are creating a crisis of unemployment as companies are going bankrupt and others are relocating out of Nigeria. The instability of the economy is keeping foreign investors away from our shores.
True, about 60% of Nigerian governors are performing very poorly. Unfortunately for the country, these wasteful, greedy and unethical governors’ model themselves after the President; the nation’s leader. But even these unreliable governors cannot be held responsible for the state of the economy and the state of the country’s security as both critical areas of government are controlled from the center.
It is the Federal Government which coordinates the country’s economy by receiving revenue from states and redistributing it to them through the Federal Government’s distribution formula. It is not the Governors who control the Federation Account.
And it is the Federal Government which is responsible for the nation’s security through its control of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force as well as the police, not state Governors. Whether he likes it or not, President Tinubu has to be held responsible for Nigeria’s worsening economy and disastrous security situation.
And it is the Federal Government which is responsible for the nation’s security through its control of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force as well as the police, not state Governors. Whether he likes it or not, President Tinubu has to be held responsible for Nigeria’s worsening economy and disastrous security situation.
Also, President Tinubu cannot blame Governors for the aspect of bad governance which is reflected in his obnoxious lifestyle. He has only himself to blame if Nigerians condemn him for prioritizing his 150-billion-naira jet, his N1 billion cardilac, his N5 billion yacht, the N21 billion vote for refurbishing his Vice President’s lodge and several billion Naira approved for the First Lady’s travels over Education, Health, Transportation and agriculture.
Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, PhD. Public Affairs Analyst and Convener Reset Lagos PDP and member PDP National Presidential Campaign Council (2023).
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Afghan’s claim he is 140 years old is investigated by the Taliban

Published
1 day agoon
April 4, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
The Taliban is investigating an Afghan man’s claim that he is 140 years old – which would make him the oldest person ever to have lived.
Aqel Nazir, who lives in the country’s eastern Khost province, says he was born in the 1880s.
He claims to remember celebrating the end of the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 alongside King Amanullah Khan, the Afghan leader who launched a campaign against the British, while in his thirties.
Nazir, who lives in the picturesque hills in Khost, said: ‘I was in the palace with King Amanullah Khan.
‘I was over 30 at the time and I remember saying that the British had fled and knelt down.
‘Everyone was happy and thanked King Amanullah Khan for chasing the British away.
‘Many leaders accompanied us to the Arg [presidential palace], but now all of them have passed away.’
The great-great grandfather does not have any documents to support his claim, but his family are also on board with gaining official recognition of his status.

Aqel Nazir, who lives in the country’s eastern Khost province, says he was born in the 1880s

The ruling Taliban administration has dispatched a a special civil registration team to assess his true age
Khyal Wazir, his 50-year-old grandson, said: ‘He is my grandfather, and I have my grandchildren as well.’
Another grandson, Abdul Hakim Sabari, said: ‘We request the government confirm our grandfather’s age using an ID or any other scientific method or documents, to prove he is 140 years old.’
In an attempt to solve the mystery, the ruling Taliban administration has dispatched a a special civil registration team to assess his true age.
Mustaghfar Gurbaz, a Taliban spokesman for the province, said: ‘If confirmed by documents or assessments, we will work to register him as the oldest person in the world.’
If verified, he would comfortably take the title of the oldest person to have ever lived.
That record is held by Jeanne Calment, who was born in 1875 and passed away in 1997, 122 years later.
The world’s current verified oldest living person is Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian nun who turned 116 last June.
Another Brazilian woman, Deolira Gliceria Pedro da Silva, is hoping to have her own claim to be 120 years of age verified by Guinness World Records.
But experts have already cast doubt on Nazir’s claims.

The world’s current verified oldest living person is Inah Canabarro Lucas

The Brazilian nun turned 116 last June
Valery Novoselov, a geriatrician at Moscow State University, told Russian outlet AIF: ‘There are no reliably registered men on the planet older than 114 to 115 years [of age].
‘In the Caucasus in the 60s, they also recorded “long-livers” – shepherds who allegedly lived to 168 years.
‘These are so-called games with age. There are no documents, no reliable data – which means this is an unrealistic picture.’
In 2015, a man claiming to be 100 years old applied for asylum in Germany after an extraordinary eight-month journey from Afghanistan.
Like Nazir, Abdul Qadir Azizi did not have any identity papers, but his family claimed his year of birth was 1905.
Azizi, who is deaf and blind, spent one month travelling across two continents from his home in the Afghan town of Baghlan to reach Germany.
His family fled after three of Azizi’s sons were killed by the Taliban.
The plight of the elderly in Afghanistan has worsened since the Taliban takeover.
In 2024, they effectively abolished the pension system, leaving many older Afghans struggling to meet basic needs.
Previously, anyone over the age of 65 received a monthly payment of around $100 from the state.
Columns
Tourists lament cancellation of 2025 Eid-el-Fitr Durbar in Kano

Published
1 day agoon
April 4, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Several tourists have expressed disappointment over the abrupt cancellation of the 2025 Eid-el-Fitr Durbar, a popular traditional horse-riding festival, in Kano State.
More than 160 tourists had traveled to Kano to witness the annual Sallah Durbar, which is renowned for its grandeur and cultural significance. The cancellation, announced shortly before the event, left many visitors disheartened.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kano, Mr. Virgil Taylor, a tourist from the United States who spent a year planning his trip, described the experience as disheartening. He arrived in Nigeria on March 28, 2025, only to learn of the Durbar’s cancellation.
“Kano Durbar, as I understood from my research, was the biggest Durbar to visit. I only learned that the Durbar was canceled when I arrived in Kano. I was terribly disappointed because I had made significant financial commitments to the trip, arranging everything in advance,” Taylor said.
The first-time visitor to Nigeria noted that the Durbar represented a unique and historic opportunity for him, one he had long anticipated. Despite the setback, he appreciated the efforts of the Executive Secretary of the Kano State History and Culture Bureau, Mr. Ahmad Yusuf, and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, for providing alternative experiences for tourists.
Taylor, however, urged the Federal Government to minimize the issuance of security threats that could deter investors and tourists from visiting Nigeria. “Despite the financial cost, I consider my visit a blessing and would consider returning, hoping not to be disappointed again,” he added.
Similarly, Lekan Yusha’u, a UK-based Nigerian and polo agent, expressed frustration over the cancellation. He noted that his visit, along with the invitation extended to his friends, was largely inspired by UNESCO’s recognition of the Durbar as part of its heritage program.
“They have never ridden a horse in such a long procession. My goal, along with a couple of friends, was to ensure that within the next year, we put the Kano Durbar procession in the Guinness World Records. Kano Durbar has the largest gathering of horses in the world, with over 4,000 horses participating in a single procession,” Yusha’u said.
He revealed that he had spent over £6,000 on his flight alone, excluding other expenses, and had met over 160 foreign tourists who had come for the same event.
Yusha’u urged the Kano State Government to capitalize on the event’s global appeal, emphasizing that the Kano Durbar is unique to northern Nigeria.
“Both the state and federal government should not disappoint us again by canceling the Kano Durbar,” he said.
The annual Durbar festival in Kano is a cultural showcase that attracts visitors from around the world, featuring colorful horse parades, traditional dances, and displays of local heritage.
Columns
I got married to man who wasn’t financially sound – Michelle Obama admits

Published
3 days agoon
April 3, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama has admitted that Barack Obama was “not financially sound” when she met him.
The couple met in 1988 when Barack took a job at a law firm in Chicago where Michelle was already working.
Speaking on the podcast she hosts with her brother, Craig, Michelle spent much of their most recent episode discussing the importance of having a partner with financial stability.
Talking with British author Jay Shetty, Craig put the question directly to his famous sister.
He asked, “Would you be attracted to a guy who’s not financially sound when you meet him?”
Michelle immediately responded, “Uh, I married one.”
Craig then laughed and admitted to his sister that he’d set her up.
“Don’t you like that alley-oop I just threw you? In basketball, you just point—you don’t even have to say it,” he said.

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