Otuaro Attributes Huge Deployment Of PAP Scholarship Beneficiaries To President Tinubu's Strong Backing

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has attributed his large-scale onshore and offshore deployment of scholarship beneficiaries to the robust backing of President Bola Tinubu.

He spoke during the pre-departure orientation for another set of 25 foreign post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries deployed by the PAP to universities across the United Kingdom for the 2025-2026 academic session, at the agency's head office in Abuja on Thursday.

The event featured talks on "Social and Cultural Relations in the UK", "Academic Expectations", "The Administration of the Scholarship", and the presentation of laptop to each of the scholarship beneficiaries to enhance their research and thesis writing.

The scholars will pursue programmes in artificial intelligence, quantity surveying and commercial management, cyber security, business analytics, advanced structural engineering, data science, finance and financial tech, international law and security, public health, among others.

Otuaro stated that President Tinubu's gracious approval of budgetary increase for the PAP has made it possible for more scholarship beneficiaries to be accommodated for undergraduate and post-graduate studies.

According to him, President Tinubu's unwavering commitment has strengthened the PAP as a pathway to not only changing the Niger Delta narrative, but building the requisite manpower for the social, economic and political advancement of the area and indeed the country.

Otuaro, who was represented by his Technical Assistant, Edgar Biu, also noted that the tireless supervision of the PAP by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had also contributed immensely to the tangibles and milestones recorded by the agency.

Addressing the scholars, he said: "We are extremely grateful to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his wholesome and strong commitment to this Programme, not only in terms of policy direction but also funding.

"Every one in the Niger Delta is happy with the President for this. It is no longer news, because all of you (scholars) also know that this Programme used to run on a low budget annually, but the President graciously approved an increase.

"This is why we are able to deploy more and more scholarship beneficiaries. So, we have every good reason as the people of the Niger Delta to applaud the President for backing this Programme strongly.

"We also appreciate immensely the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, whose supervision this office falls directly under. He has worked tirelessly with us to make sure that this Programme achieves the tangibles and milestones under the President's Renewed Hope Agenda.

"We are able to send all of you and thousands of others to universities within and outside Nigeria because of the budgetary increase. Therefore we are building the necessary human capital for the social, economic and political development of our region and indeed the country. We are, indeed, grateful to the President."

The PAP Administrator reiterated his advice that scholarship beneficiaries should strive hard for academic excellence and avoid distractions, while also obeying the laws of their host country and the regulations of their institutions.

Otuaro added,"So I urge you to be focused as you embark on this academic journey (to the United Kingdom), a journey that promises so much. This programme is not the end of where the Niger Delta should be, but it is a pathway to changing the narrative.

"Be driven by your modest background, the sacrifices that have gone into providing this great opportunity for you, and the huge investment in your education, to achieve academic excellence.

"Make good use of this opportunity to shine and the sky will be the limit for every one of you. When you complete your programme, return home to contribute your quota to the development of the Niger Delta and our country."

Signed:

Mr Igoniko Oduma

Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme

16 January, 2026.

Featured Article: The Inheritance of Ignorance: What Parents Pass Down Without Knowing_By William Z. Bozimo

In life, not everything practised for generations is sacred. Tradition is meant to protect humanity, and not excuse cruelty. Ignorance is the only inheritance that grows larger when it is shared. For decades, some African parents have unknowingly passed down ignorance; not just through what they teach, but also through what they tolerate. They excuse laziness in the name of their heir. They sometimes enable entitlement, all in the name of tradition. They fail to educate their male children that inheritance is not a reward for birth, but a continuation of responsibility and family legacy.

In some African cultures, the male children grow up very fluent in their sense of entitlement but illiterate in duty. Culture, sadly, has empowered some sons with so much authority, but tradition never taught them how to handle the weight of such a huge responsibility. The culture tells them that “they are entitled because they are the firstborn son and heir to all that their father owns, no matter the circumstance of their birth, or the type of relationship they have with their father. But bond by blood alone has never been proof of character. If it were, some family members would not bleed each other dry.

In some families, these men inherit lands they never tilled, houses they never built, and names they never honoured. Yet, they refuse to inherit responsibility, compassion, care and gratitude. Tradition, unfortunately, has given them legal rights without moral weight, and they carry those privileges loudly like trophies stolen from effort. Some of these children have achieved nothing on their own: no legacy built, no burden carried, and no sweat invested. Yet, they speak so loudly against their parents who did far more than they could ever manage, because of their entitlement mindset. 

Even the scriptures never taught us inheritance as entitlement, but as a legacy. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. This does not say a clever child, nor does it say that a resentful child will get an inheritance. It says that a “good man leaves.” Biblically, inheritance flows from personality, not conflict; from foresight, not force; and from love, not litigation. Yet, somewhere between culture and convenience, we lost the plot. We now raise children who know how to claim, but not how to care.

For instance, successors who were missing from all the struggles and the humble beginnings, how functional can they be when it comes to asset management and all other duties as heirs? Scripture also anticipated this distortion. Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬ says: “An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.” This is not just about timing alone; it is also about the perspective. In reality, an inheritance received by just birthright but without honour is already cursed; not by God’s anger, but by its emptiness. Because the scripture teaches inheritance as a gift of foresight, and not a reward for entitlement, culture and ingratitude.

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬  says “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” The Bible never separated an inheritance from honour. Honour comes before benefit; presence comes before possession; and care comes before claims. So any culture that teaches otherwise is not preserving tradition, it is contradicting humanity, truthfulness, and fairness. The most inhumane manifestation of ignorance is selective affection: You did not care if your parents lived well, but you are deeply interested in what they leave behind for you to inherit.

That is not inheritance, it is indeed harvesting without farming. Culture may clap for it, courts may enforce it, the elders may excuse it, but heaven remains silent on entitlement. They quote culture and custom loudly but forget true conscience entirely. How does one who detests the hands that fed them, blame the shoulders that carried them, curse the sacrifices that raised them, yet feel entitled to the fruits of those same sacrifices; and appear promptly when death opens the inventory? Frankly, culture without humanity is theft with ceremony. 

Recently, I came across a video of a young lady who visited her parents in the village during the festive season, and some people who saw her father's compound felt it was below standard, and they told her to construct a better house for them. But her response was not surprising at all. After all, women in her culture don't have any rights to an inheritance, so why would she build for another to claim? On reflection, it is fair to say that it is a patriarchal culture that places value on gender over contribution, where birth order and sex are rewarded more than hard work, sacrifice, loyalty, and care. 

In some families, the girl child is seen as a labourer without inheritance, a caregiver without recognition, and a pillar without foundations. This is not heritage; it is historical intolerance preserved by silence. Such a culture operates on the belief that males are heirs by default and females are just helpers by obligation. So caregiving is expected of them, but ownership is forbidden. Women are permitted to build the home, but are barred from owning it. Such a culture treats women as temporary custodians, regardless of how permanent their sacrifice has been.

Most times, the women often help their parents through tough times in life like illness, poverty, and old age, while the men are busy with their spouses. But in the end, they are told, politely or brutally that “their reward is in their husband's house.” To me, such a culture contradicts humanity in this day and age, mostly in a situation where both the sons and daughters are heirs of dignity and pride to the family, and their contributions carry significance. Fairness has to outrank culture and any system today that prohibits compensation for sacrifice because of gender preference is standing against human values.

Such practice is morally outdated, unjust, exploitative, patriarchal, and sustained by the fear of change. And most painfully, it is a culture that survives because reasonable people stay silent. A society that eats the labour of its daughters and hands the reward to its sons simply because they are males “for show” is not protecting tradition, it is perfecting injustice. It is a culture that drinks from a woman’s well, yet forbids her from owning the land where water flows. “A child who eats where he did not farm will soon destroy the farm.” Honestly, culture must evolve or it will rot. Africa does not need to abandon its essence, but remember it correctly.

A culture that allows “heirs” to despise their parents while they are still alive, and makes no positive contributions in the family legacy as heirs to inheritance, yet they end up getting rewarded when their parents pass away is not upholding tradition but perfecting cruelty. 

Let it be said plainly: If you could not stand by your parents in their lifetime, you have no moral ground to appear when they are no more, or stand on their graves demanding rewards according to tradition. As it has been affirmed that inheritance is a legacy, and not just material gain for the entitled firstborn son alone. 

Because successors are not for rewards only; they must also be relevant in the family as stewards of the family legacy. Otherwise, in the future, these same children will age, and they will discover too late that the culture they defended has teeth. The silence they practised will return to them as neglect, and the entitlement they lived by will raise children just like them. Ignorance, after all, is hereditary when left unchallenged.

William Z. Bozimo

Veteran Journalist | Columnist | National Memory Keeper

WIKE AND THE NORMALIZATION OF THE ABNORMAL: HOW NIGERIAN POLITICS BECAME A TRANSACTIONAL MARKETPLACE:- Wike’s Alleged N50bn Gamble: When Support Becomes an Investment, Not a Principle

 "Public Office, Private Wealth, and the Death of Accountability"

Wike’s recent declaration — “I spent N50bn to make Bola Ahmed Tinubu president and I won’t be dumped like that” — did not land like a bombshell; it floated into the national conversation like an old, familiar song. It sounded less like a scandal and more like a civics lesson on how power truly changes hands in Nigeria. Whether he exaggerated the figure or not almost feels irrelevant. What unsettles the mind is how easily such a claim slips through the public space without shock, as though he merely stated the price of garri in the market. In any democracy where votes truly reign, this kind of statement would invite outrage, investigations, and resignations. In Nigeria, it elicits resigned nods. That, in itself, is the first sign that abnormality has become the new normal.

In truth, Nigerian politics has long muttered its allegiance not to the people but to the highest bidder. The political arena resembles a vast, noisy marketplace where power is the ultimate commodity and politicians are both hawkers and buyers. Elections, on paper, are supposed to be solemn rituals of popular sovereignty; in practice, they often play out like auctions where influence is traded, loyalty is priced, and outcomes are negotiated behind curtains thick with cigarette smoke and whispered promises. Citizens line up at polling booths to cast their votes, yet the real power-play unfolds far from those queues — in hotels, mansions, and backrooms where the ballot is reduced to a mere receipt confirming a deal already sealed.

Within this distorted ecosystem, politics has become shamelessly transactional. Wike’s alleged N50bn is presented not as a moral outrage but as a “stake” in a high-risk, high-return venture. Support is no longer anchored on principles or ideology; it is treated as capital. Politicians invest in candidates, parties, and coalitions the way speculators invest in stocks, hoping for dividends in the form of appointments, contracts, concessions, and immunity. Loyalty, in such a marketplace, does not spring from belief but from expectation. It is less an oath and more an invoice, stamped with the words: “Payment due upon victory.”

Thus, Wike’s alleged gamble fits seamlessly into a broader culture where backing a candidate is akin to buying shares in a political enterprise. The question drifting through public discourse is not, “Is it right for a politician to spend such an amount?” but, “What did he get in return?” The compass of public morality has been spun so many times that it now points only toward profit and loss. The language of governance has been infected by the vocabulary of business: investments, returns, portfolios, negotiations. Politics, as practiced, has become a stock exchange of ambition, with the nation itself offered as collateral.

Yet beneath the loud trading floor of this political marketplace lies a quieter, more haunting question that rarely gains voice: where does this kind of money come from? When a public office holder speaks casually of sinking billions into an election, the most urgent interrogation should be about the source of those funds. But in today’s Nigeria, that question often arrives dead on arrival. Society has been slowly anesthetized, numbed into perceiving unexplained wealth as a natural fragrance of power. It is as if opulence has become the uniform of leadership, and no one dares ask who paid for it.

In this climate, public office is no longer viewed as an opportunity to serve, but as a rare mining license: time-bound, but infinitely exploitable. A politician may enter office with modest means and depart with an empire; vast estates, fleets of cars, offshore accounts, and businesses stretching like tentacles across sectors. The wealth amassed is sometimes so enormous that it could sustain not just children and grandchildren, but descendants yet unborn — a river of stolen abundance flowing into generations that may never know the honest sweat of labour. Public office becomes a hurried harvest, a frantic digging before the term ends and the golden shovel is taken away.

This is where “Public Office, Private Wealth, and the Death of Accountability” takes center stage. The state’s resources, meant to be a communal granary, are turned into private barns. The treasury becomes a free-for-all field, trampled by those in power who graze as though there will be no tomorrow. The funds that should build schools, hospitals, and roads are diverted to bankroll elections, purchase delegates, hire thugs, launch propaganda, and sustain a network of political clients. Corruption, in this scenario, is not a side effect; it is the fuel that powers the engine of electoral victory. It becomes a ruthless cycle, a serpent devouring its tail and growing fatter with every bite.

As this cycle deepens, the value of the ordinary voter shrinks. When money is allowed to choke merit and muscle out integrity, the will of the people becomes a faint whisper drowned by the thunder of cash. Citizens may queue for hours under a scorching sun, ink-stain on their thumbs as proof of duty, yet the true decisions might have been made weeks earlier in plush rooms where envelopes change hands and agreements are scribbled over dinner. Democracy, draped in its ceremonial robes, becomes a masked ball — glamorous on the surface, hollow at the core.

This is why Wike’s words, instead of igniting a firestorm of national outrage, merely fan the embers of cynical recognition. They expose a reality Nigerians have long suspected: that governance is treated as a transaction, and the nation as a negotiable asset. The collective reaction is not one of astonishment but of weary familiarity — as if someone simply turned on the light in a room everyone already knew was dirty. The question on many lips is not, “How dare he?” but, “How many others are doing the same without saying it?”

From this point, frustration often hardens into bitter resignation. Nigerians watch the revolving door of politics spin the same faces in and out of office, like actors swapping costumes but rehearsing the same script. Anti-corruption efforts wobble like a one-legged chair — firm only when leaning on the weak, but strangely gentle when pressed against the powerful. Institutions meant to safeguard the public trust often bow before godfathers and strongmen. In such a setting, hope grows thin, like a cloth washed too many times. The belief that a person of integrity, with little money but great vision, can win an election starts to sound like a bedtime story told only to comfort children.

Yet, beneath the sediment of despair, an unyielding truth persists: no democracy can flourish where individuals tower above institutions. When alliances overshadow laws and personal promises outmuscle constitutional provisions, the system inevitably bends toward the wealthy and well-connected. As long as the real contest is waged not in polling units but in boardrooms, the average citizen remains a spectator — applauding or protesting from the stands, but rarely allowed to touch the ball. The stage may be arranged to look democratic, but the script remains stubbornly oligarchic.

So, the heart of the matter is not whether Wike’s figure is accurate to the last naira. The more piercing question is why such a statement glides so easily into the national consciousness without provoking widespread moral revulsion. It tells of a country where political greed is woven into the very fabric of governance, where public funds are mentally reclassified as personal spoils the moment a hand rests on the Bible or Qur’an at inauguration. It sketches the picture of leaders who view legacy not as the schools they build or the lives they uplift, but as the sheer magnitude of wealth they stockpile — wealth designed to cushion their descendants from the necessity of honest labour for generations.

In the end, Wike’s alleged N50bn claim is less a personal brag and more a mirror reflecting the rot in Nigeria’s political culture. It exposes a system where politics has become a cash-and-carry marketplace, public office a doorway to private riches, and accountability a casualty of normalized corruption. Until Nigerians recover the capacity to be outraged by such revelations, until institutions outgrow strongmen and votes outweigh bank transfers, democracy will remain largely theatrical — impressive on the surface but decayed underneath. The real task is not just to fault Wike’s words, but to challenge and reform the very system that makes such words sound normal, and to rebuild a culture where public office is treated as a sacred trust rather than a lucrative investment.

EBIKABOWEI KEDIKUMO – writes from Ayakoromo Town, Delta State.

Breaking: Bank Mistakenly Sends N1.3bn to wrong Account, Man Allegedly Splurges Funds Before EFCC Recovers N802m

A system glitch at First Bank reportedly led to the accidental transfer of N1.3 billion into the account of Ojo Eghosa Kingsley, triggering what investigators describe as a rapid spending spree before authorities intervened.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the suspect allegedly diverted large portions of the funds to the bank accounts of his mother, Itohan Ojo, and his sister, Edith Okoro Osaretin, while committing part of the money to the completion of a building project and the funding of a suddenly flamboyant lifestyle. 

Following a report by the bank, the EFCC launched an investigation and has since recovered and returned N802 million to First Bank.

Just-ln: IPF fixes February for national elections, appoints Abai Electoral Chairman

The Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF) has officially kicked off preparations for its upcoming national leadership election, scheduling it for February and appointing a new Electoral Committee led by Mr. Francis Abai of PENGlobal as Chairman.

The committee also includes Mr. Cletus Opukeme of Daily Watch as Secretary and Mr. Joseph Kanjo of Info Daily as a member.

Meanwhile, a Constitution Review Committee was also constituted, comprising Mr. Tare Magbei of Daily Report Nigeria as chairman, Mr. Ezekiel Kagbala of Focal Point as secretary and Mr. Francis Abai as a member. 

These moves were seen as key to ensuring a smooth transition and strengthening the Forum's internal processes.

However, the current National Executive Council, headed by Comrade Ozobo Austin, is set to step down on February 29, 2026. The IPF views this as a step towards enhancing accountability and democratic participation. 

These decisions were reached in a Congress meeting held on the 15th January, 2026 at the Africa for Peace Games Village and supervised by Chief Sheriff Mulade Ph.D, as one of the patrons.

The statement urged members interested on vying for am executive office in the Forum to pick up nomination forms from the chairman of the electoral committee beginning from Monday 19th January, 2026 and all completed forms should be returned on or before January 25. 

According to the report, the details of the election date and other modalities would be announced at due course.

The Story Behind Tompolo''s Ten Tentacles_By: Dr. Enewaridideke Ekanpou

There are people in Africa who  are culturally rooted, proud and independent but they are thin on the ground. Majorly scattered everywhere like JP Clark's 'broken china' in his poem, 'Ibadan', are hundreds of thousands of people who inhabit a cultural desert, devoid of oasis.They are the marooned. In fact, marooned like Robinson Crusoe on the uninhabited island is the man who is culturally rootless. For the culturally benighted, culture rooted in traditional mysticism is the road to perdition, the road to ungodliness punitively decorated with seven 'HELLS'. That is the threatening danger, the peak of 'CHRONIC benightedness'.

 Sometimes culture speaks mystically without words.

Sometimes culture ululates and echoes in meditative silence. Thoughts of purification and reconnection occasionally channelled without malice harboured for anyone tell a great  story of cultural rootedness, a great story of depth in mysticism that dwells only in the world of the pure-hearted.

Every object has its own orbit however the plane it finds itself. Ill-timed and poisoned objects down the path of Tompolo have habituated themselves to journeying from every conceivable corner of the world as their mastered orbit, laden with verbally improvised explosive devices. Powered by thoughts of dismantlement from visibility as a calculated agenda, the verbally improvised devices journey daily around Tompolo with different seemingly believable stories of wrong doings anchored narratively to wrong-foot him towards the Bermuda-like  abyss. In vain the verbally improvised explosive devices journey around the universally acclaimed development activist because Tompolo is tentacled, with the power of retraction of his tentacles when the circumstances demand it. Over his head the furious waters always pass as they often do whenever they come upon the extended branches of the Epain tree in the river.

Every ten years Tompolo's tentacles tell a reverberating story of foiled dismantlement attempts at his fortified wall that daily houses his tentacles.Tompolo's life is often marked by major events in every ten years, as dictated by the numerological weight of the tenth tentacle. In every ten years Tompolo experiences a proliferation of verbal virulence masterminded by detractors from the lunatic asylum. The current surge of verbal virulence strategically directed at Tompolo is rooted in the numerological mystery traced astrologically to  Tompolo's tenth tentacle. This is a numerological reality likely to dwindle away like soap without being noised when the cacophony of verbal virulence retreats naturally to its calm roost.

Tompolo is an implacable hater of human trafficking, injustice, exploitation, underdevelopment, impoverishment, ritual killing, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft. However the anti-Tompolo propaganda, he can never become the antithesis of his core beliefs and directional principles. For people battered by afflictions of 'political pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis', they are always pathologically superfragilisticexpialidocious in their observations, comments and analyses whenever volcanoes of mysticism are spotted anywhere on earth, particularly the 'traditional mysticism' championed by Tompolo. They are the perpetually afflicted who are domiciled  in the Republic of Politics as deadwood content creators -  dead to the supremacy of mystical brotherhood pilgrims could find in the Gbaraun Egbesu Temple in Oporoza.

Precisely, like substances methodically poured into a mould, a pattern has emerged. This is a pattern  that could be deployed to extrapolate all the motivations behind the anti-Tompolo moves launched off from the homes of Niger Delta to the homes in Abuja. The methodology is either kinetic or non-kinetic. To dwarf and dim the performance visibility of Tompolo in his avowed national tasks is what the preternaturally charcoal-hearted people set sights on in their privileged existence on earth.Their struggle against Tompolo's functional visibility paradoxically intensifies and foregrounds the vulnerabilities of these charcoal-hearted apes and chimpanzees.

 Between the effortfully dwarfed Tompolo's visibility and their  gaping vulnerabilities there is a parallel; this  parallel  resides in Robert Browning's poem, 'My Last Duchess'. In this poem cast in dramatic monologue, the Duke of Ferrara tries to demarket his late wife before his own emissary in a bid to marry another woman but he ends up revealing his vices as a man who abuses,  objectifies and murders  women. It is quite predictable the Duke of Ferrara would be denied the opportunity to marry the woman whom he seeks because his shortcomings have been revealed in the dramatic monologue. Similarly,  the authorities before whom  the genuine Niger Delta development activist is verbally pounded like pounded yam, always see the virtue and wisdom in choosing Tompolo over their phantom name-killing creations.

Deliberate moves to dim the performance visibility of Tompolo is the licence for Tompolo's visibility because such feeble and infantile attempts only throw up the vulnerabilities of the plotters who are seen by the authorities as people without their heads.For Gabriel Okara in his great novel,THE VOICE, they are narratively characterised as people whose heads are not correct.

The ten tentacles of Tompolo are not mere creations to be deployed geometrically and algebraically within the mathematical space. Embedded in Tompolo's ten tentacles are numerological secrets and significances yoked mystically with astrology  for projection into  the future, though not without accurate alliance with his retraction mechanism. In the life of Tompolo the ten tentacles share numerological and astrological bond with his mechanism of retraction.

Tompolo's ten tentacles are his pair of moral and mystical compass that reveal a given pattern in every ten years. For Tompolo his egregore is deeply buried in the ten tentacles.

Revival of African traditional mysticism and cultural significance occupies a special space in the symmetrically aligned  hierarchisation of Tompolo's ten tentacles. As hierarchically programmed, it is the assigned domain of one of the ten tentacles  to activate, stimulate, procedurally the functional operationalisation of African traditional mysticism and the indigenous cultural practices of Africa without incorporating elements of  self-adulatory mumbo-jumbo and self-exhibitionism. Without markers of puritanism, carrying only pure thoughts inhaled and exhaled as a regular mystical regimen, the assigned tentacle devotedly ploughs the path to facilitate and guarantee meaningful communication with the Divine Intelligence through the established structures built hierarchically around Egbesuism which has its  own codes that promote religious ecumenism across all denominations and centres of worship.

Tompolo is always a tentacled man. A tentacled man is immune to the deficiencies of verbal irrationality, the delusions of power, of materialism, of infallibility, of megalomania, of narcissism, of spiritual purity, of spiritual hegemony, of spatial monopoly, of traditional situatedness and traditional impeccability within the secular space. Such a unique being enjoys in arrears spiritual, traditional, cultural, psychological, philosophical and ecumenical equilibrium. A tentacled man also enjoys mystical and moral fortification.

 When a man is filled to the brim with mystical and moral fortification, the dismantlement exertions of dark-hearted mortals become mere puny exertions that lose their poisonous penetration and potency before the pachydermatous shell of the tentacled Tompolo.

Tentacled as Tompolo is, with his time-tested mechanism of retraction whenever his tentacles psychically detect an approaching lethal encroachment on his SHELLED WORLD, the dismantlement processions and madrigals hymnally invoked are a mere distraction because Tompolo ontologically stands beyond their killer arrows often released higgledy-piggledy into the secular space.

Some personalities have gladly chosen a career as sponsors and promoters of orbital collision within the known space of Tompolo. These are the unchained from the lunatic asylum psychopathically grounded in the activation of verbally improvised explosive devices structured to provoke responsive verbal outburst from Tompolo but the assigned tentacle among the ten tentacles would not be tricked into this verbal boobytrap...

In the life of Tompolo there is an observed pattern of movement of events after every ten years. This is a rhythmic echo from his ten teetotaler tentacles accustomed to advantageous retraction when demanded as a potent machinery to outwit the fixated apostles of orbital collision.

The story of Tompolo's ten tentacles is a long but mystically and philosophically compelling and compulsive one to be told in phases in every century for societal edification and cohesion. Tompolo is not tentacled for exhibition as a zoological artifact. Societal edification, growth, cohesion, integration, cohabitation, cultural harmony, cosmic harmony and governmental recognition are the propellers of Tompolo's tentacled existence, harmoniously dictated to from time to time by the superior commanding voice of the constituents of the ten tentacles. These ten tentacles are mystically weighted and disposed to tackle any societal challenge however the subterranean envy and acrimony malevolently infused into the compositions of the given societal challenge.

The society in which we live becomes an oasis of harmony, growth and development when we are sufficiently awakened to the mystical potentials buried in the tentacled existence of Tompolo because that would mark the end to the proliferation and flight of verbally improvised explosive devices from the verbal armoury in the lethally skillful hands of the charcoal-hearted people who are the 'aborignes' of the lunatic asylum in the Republic of Kimimienseimo.

Dr. Ekanpou writes from Akparemogbene, Delta State.

Just-ln: President Tinubu Urges Wike to Focus on FCT Administration or Risk Sack as Minister

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to focus fully on his duties in Abuja or face possible termination of his ministerial appointment.

The President’s position was delivered through Mr. Ibrahim Ya'u Darazo, Special Adviser to the president on Political and Intergovernmental Affairs during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday January 13. 

While addressing reporters, the presidential aide stated clearly that no political office holder, including the minister of FCT, should continue to “heat the polity” in Rivers State or anywhere else, especially when it distracts from official responsibilities.

According to the Presidency, the directive is meant to reinforce proper conduct, ensure dedicated service to Nigerians, and uphold the integrity of ministerial appointments.

HRM. Asari Dokubo Pledges Support for President Tinubu, Gov. Fubara for Second Tenure

A day After Wike Visit to King Asari Dokubo, This Is The Shocking Massage He Sent To FUBARA.

Speaking live on his facebook page, Asari said that he can not sacrifice Ijaw for anything.

He told the public that Tinubu is his friend and he will give him his 100% support, Siminalayi Fubara is my Ijaw brother and I will stand with him.

All governors in Rivers State alway do 2nd term and Ijaw man will do same.

He said some people did not want me as a King and I did not belive I will be what I am today but, Governor Siminalayi Fubara made it possible be elevating me to 1st class king, I owe him alot, the statement added.

Just-ln: Goodluck Arrives Kampala Ahead of January 15, Republic of Uganda General Elections

" I arrived in Kampala early this morning, as Head of the combined  African Union (AU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Election Observation Mission, to the scheduled January 15 general elections in the Republic of Uganda.

" I thank the Ugandan officials, as well as the staff of AU and Nigerian High Commission in Kampala for a warm reception.

" I wish the people of the Republic of Uganda a peaceful, transparent and  credible electoral process towards consolidating democracy in the country and improving the course of governance on the continent."

-GEJ

Just-ln: Rivers Political Cr!sis: Lawyers Initiate Recall of 26 Rivers LawmakersOn January 9, 2026, the Association

On January 9, 2026, the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) announced efforts to recall 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martin Amaewhule, due to impeachment proceedings against Governor Sim Fubara for alleged gross misconduct and financial misappropriation.

ALDRAP has sent a letter to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requesting certified true copies of the voters register for all state constituencies in Rivers State. The association argues that many of its members are constituents and have the legal right to begin the recall process. They warned that they would seek court action if INEC does not provide the requested documents.

The letter, dated January 8, 2026, critiques the Assembly members for initiating hostile actions against the governor despite a Supreme Court ruling encouraging peaceful conflict resolution among members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). ALDRAP emphasized that the impeachment notice is fundamentally flawed, highlighting inappropriate language used in addressing Governor Fubara.

Gov. Oborevwori, Diri, Mbah, Lokpobiri, Guwor, Smooth, Omoyibo, Tonlagha, Ejovi, Others Celebrate Marine Magnate, High Chief Wayles at 60, Commends his Distinguished Leadership Style

Governor Oborevwori extols business mogul’s passion for community development at the thanks giving service commemorating at the Anglican Church on Sunday 11th Jan, 2026 in Okpolo - Enhwe, describing him as a Man of Proven Integrity and Asset to the Niger Delta region. 

The Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on Sunday, described him as a true leader,

High Chief (Dr) Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore, JP, FCILG, Chairman Dewayle's Group of Companies as a man of proven character, unwavering passion and enduring commitment to community development, as the renowned international business mogul marked his 60th birthday.

Governor Oborevwori spoke at a thanksgiving service held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Okpolo-Enhwe, in Isoko South Local Government Area to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the celebrant.

The Governor said attaining the age of 60 was a clear testament to God’s faithfulness, noting that returning all the glory to God through thanksgiving was the most meaningful aspect of the celebration.

According to him, he had known High Chief (Dr) Emonena Egukawhore for many years and had observed that his passion, energy and sense of purpose remained constant and admirable.

“Success is not accidental. It is rooted in divine favour, strong values and respect for one’s roots. High  Chief Dr Wayles Egukawhore has consistently demonstrated these virtues, particularly in his commitment to the development of his people in Enhwe, Isoko and Patani,” Oborevwori stated.

The Governor commended the celebrant for remembering his roots and investing significantly in human capital and community development, praying for continued divine protection, sound health and sustained blessings upon him and his family.

He urged the celebrant to remain steadfast in acknowledging God as the source of wisdom, opportunity and increase.

In his sermon, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Oleh, Rt. Rev. John Aruakpor, preached from Psalm 139:14–18, stressing that human life is “fearfully and wonderfully made” and fully known to God even before birth.

The Bishop said survival, progress and achievement are products of divine grace rather than personal strength or luck, adding that life is a stewardship entrusted by God for service to humanity.

“We must live purposefully with gratitude, humility and obedience, using our resources and opportunities to bless our communities and society,” the Bishop admonished.

Bishop Aruakpor also commended Governor Oborevwori for his visible achievements in Delta State, particularly in infrastructure development, noting that the projects compare favourably with global standards.

He expressed strong confidence in the Governor’s administration, saying genuine performance leaves little room for political distractions, and urged Deltans to continue to support the government.

The celebrant, High Chief (Dr)  Egukawhore, in his remark said his life had been marked by enduring friendships, meaningful relationships and consistent good deeds, attributing his journey and accomplishments to the faithfulness of God.

He reaffirmed his commitment to service and development, noting that at 60, he remained steadfast in his journey of faith and purpose.

The thanksgiving service was attended by top government officials, traditional rulers, captains of industry and community leaders, including the Distinguished Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Honorable Minister of State For Petroleum Resources (0il),

Hon Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, Chief Johnbull Ejovi, Chief Eta Enahoro, Engr. Matthew Tonlagha, High Chief Tunde Smooth, Chief Broderick Arigbodi and Chief Daniel Omoyibo, among others.

After the Thanksgiving, the special dignitaries and a Galaxy of stars amongst whom was Davido, and other super stars moved to the Country Home

of High Chief Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore for a grandiose and lavish

reception which was a Carnival because the crowd recorded  for High Chief DR Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore birthday celebration was the first of its kind in Isoko nation.

All genre of music was presented on stage to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. Present at the reception was Bayelsa State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri with key members of the Bayelsa State Executive Council, Representatives of Dr Peter Mbah, the Governor of Enugu  State, Members of Delta state executive council, Captains of Industries, Banks Chief executives  members of the academic community etc who were on ground to add colour and candor to the event.

On ground to make every moment worthwhile was the large array of a Variety of Musicians and Comedians present. For Music we have Davido, Mercy Chinwo, Timi Dakolo etc.

On Comedy we have Ay, Gordons, Whalemouth, Orezi, Richard Obajimi , St Loius and others too numerous to be mentioned.

The highlight of the event at the Country home citadel was the cutting of the Diamond Jubilee cake by the celebrant, High Chief DR Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore JP FCILG, assisted Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Delta Governor, Reps of Enugu state Governor, Davido, AY, Cordons, Mercy Chinwo and other super stars for the cutting of the Diamond  Jubilee cake.

There was a flow of endless champaign

Which is the Hallmark of Ceremonies organized by the billionaire business Mogul, High Chief Wayles.

The ceremony  lasted

till the wee hours of the morning as all invited quests ruminated in the euphoria of the joy of the moment.

The 60 Diamond jubilee celebration. Was the first of its kind.  The crowd recorded  for High Chief DR Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore was the first of its kind in ljaw land and Isoko nation because of his impact in the development of the Niger Delta.

The event may have come and gone but

the sweet memories of the  Birthday celebration of High Chief Wayles Egukawhore is something that will continue to resonate in the public domain of Enhwe People both great and small now and generation to come.

WIKE'S WATERLOO: WHEN THE APPRENTICE RETIRED THE MASTER: HOW APC FED THE MONSTER AND FUBARA LANDED THE KNOCKOUT

Fubara’s quiet wit retires Nigeria’s most overfed political villain – When APC Married Trouble and Fubara Served the Divorce Papers to Wike

When the apprentice retires the master, the story is never a quiet one. In Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has done precisely that: he has delivered, with quiet calculation and disarming composure, the kind of knockout that leaves both the fallen godfather and his enablers staring at the canvas in disbelief. Wike’s Waterloo has arrived, and it has come not with thunderous bluster, but with the measured wit and calm resilience of an Ijaw man who refused to be crushed. The APC which helped to feed and fatten this political monster for its own convenience, now finds itself wincing at the very blows that have retired its once‑celebrated ally.

From the outset, the APC was no innocent victim of circumstance. The party saw Nyesom Wike clearly: his methods, his excesses, his unrestrained appetite for power were all on open display. Yet, in its eagerness to secure short‑term advantage in Rivers State, the APC knowingly clasped him to its chest, like a man who invites a cobra into his home because it promises to chase away rats. Now that the venom has spread and the alliance has turned toxic, the party’s cries of shock ring hollow. You cannot dance with the tiger and then complain when it bares its teeth; you cannot willingly wade into fire and then wail about being burned. By its own deliberate choices, the APC helped to raise, indulge and empower the very creature it now pretends to fear and silent.

Indeed, the party’s present predicament is nothing short of a self‑inflicted wound, a voluntary injury now theatrically presented as persecution. It was the APC that flung wide its doors, rolled out the red carpet and clasped Wike’s hand in triumph when his antics tilted the scales in its favour. At that time, there were no sermons about decorum, no lectures on propriety, no moral outrage. The same unrefined conduct they now decry was then dressed up as strategic masterstroke, as political sagacity, so long as it weakened opponents and strengthened their hold on power. When Wike’s belligerence worked for them, they laughed, applauded and posed for photographs;  Wike's vices  were conveniently ignored, if not quietly celebrated.

Yet, when something is fundamentally wrong, it remains wrong even when it appears to serve your interests. Principles that only surface when the wind changes direction are not principles at all, but mere tactics. The APC cannot suddenly discover morality simply because the monster it fed has begun to nibble at its own fingers. To denounce today what was hailed yesterday, not out of newfound conscience but out of shifting convenience, is the purest strain of political hypocrisy. A party that knowingly and repeatedly feeds a beast cannot protest when it grows fat and bold enough to test the taste of the hand that fed it. The APC must therefore cease its relentless complaining and accept that it is merely reaping the bitter harvest of its own sowing.

At the centre of this drama stands Wike himself, a man whose conduct has long been marred by recklessness, arrogance and a glaring lack of restraint. He has behaved less like a statesman and more like a minor despot intoxicated by his own voice, as if public office were a personal inheritance rather than a sacred trust. His politics has revolved around one fixed point: himself. Personal relevance, personal influence, personal gain – these have been his guiding stars. In his world, loyalty is purely transactional, alliances are disposable and principles are nothing more than decorative robes to be donned or discarded at will. Such a man can only play the villain in the long run, however loudly he may attempt to cast himself as the hero.

It is precisely this unguarded, domineering and erratic behaviour that has become the banana peel under his own feet. A man living in a glass house should not throw stones, yet Wike has hurled boulders in every direction, shattering trust, friendships and alliances along the way. The loudness that once drew crowds now echoes like a tired drum in a hall that is steadily emptying. Serious politicians are increasingly wary of tethering their future to a man whose words appear to carry no lasting weight and whose loyalties shift like sand under a restless tide. His selfishness, his hunger for control, his domineering posture – these are not just minor blemishes, but tragic flaws. Like the classical tragic figure, he struts the stage loudly, unaware that the curtain is about to fall.

However, the twist in this tale is that the curtain call did not come from his opponents alone, but from his own political “son”. Governor Fubara, the man Wike once sought to micromanage as a puppet, quietly rewrote the script. With calm resilience, strategic patience and a disarming public composure, Fubara outmanoeuvred the self‑styled godfather. In a political ring long dominated by noise and intimidation, he chose wit over bluster and strategy over spectacle. You cannot suppress an Ijaw man and expect to go free; history has shown that those who underestimate such quiet strength often discover, too late, that the river they tried to dam has quietly carved a new course.

By standing his ground without descending into Wike’s brand of theatrical confrontation, Fubara has effectively retired his overbearing godfather from the centre of Rivers politics. The once‑almighty enforcer, who strutted like an emperor, now finds himself staring at a political map on which he is increasingly irrelevant. His ministerial appointment in Abuja looks less like a new dawn and more like a sunset – a final posting before the night of political paralysis sets in. His time as governor may well go down as his last truly significant elective office; the corridors of power he once dominated are gradually closing their doors. Step by step, blow by quiet blow, Fubara has dealt a brilliant knockout that has left the once‑feared strongman wobbling on the fringes of relevance.

As the APC begins to pull away from him, Wike stands, politically speaking, in a desolate no‑man’s‑land: formally attached to power, yet substantively unwanted. He is politically homeless, hovering between alliances but firmly rooted in none. The very party that once paraded him as a prized asset is now edging away from him like one might retreat from a fire that has begun to lick the curtains. His former protégés are asserting their independence, his influence is thinning out like smoke in the harmattan sky, and the political stage that once reverberated with his booming voice is increasingly lit by other faces. One by one, his props are being removed, and his shadow, once expansive, is shrinking by the day.

In the end, unchecked excess always sends the bill. Wike’s unbridled utterances, his confrontational style and his inability to temper ambition with wisdom are the very reasons he is drifting towards political paralysis. A machine running at full speed without maintenance eventually seizes and stops; his career is following that same mechanical law. The APC’s folly in enabling and amplifying such behaviour for expediency has merely accelerated the process, but they cannot now wash their hands and pretend to be neutral spectators. They did not just discover the monster; they fed it, defended it and unleashed it. Now that it has turned, they must bear the responsibility in full.

Yet, amidst the wreckage of collapsing godfatherism, one figure emerges as the quiet hero of this saga: Governor Fubara. Without resorting to the crude theatrics that defined his erstwhile patron, he has shown that subtlety can defeat swagger, that quiet steel can humble noisy tyranny. His victory is not just personal; it is symbolic. It sends a message to every overbearing political godfather who believes that a successor is merely an extension of their ego. Fubara’s stand underscores an ancient truth: power is transient, and no throne is permanent.

Ultimately, this entire episode stands as a cautionary tale for Nigeria’s political class. When parties and politicians build alliances solely on convenience, closing their eyes to character in the blind pursuit of advantage, they are merely fattening a beast that may one day devour them. You cannot go on feeding a monster and then feign surprise when you find yourself on the menu. The APC must accept that it is suffering the natural consequences of its own cynical choices. Wike, in turn, is discovering that the same unguarded conduct that lifted him into the limelight is dragging him into the shadows of irrelevance. His political paralysis is not a tragic accident; it is the inevitable outcome of a career built on instability, selfishness and unrestrained ambition. And standing over this fallen edifice, calm and resolute, is Fubara – the apprentice who retired the master with a single, brilliant, history‑defining knockout.

EBIKABOWEI KEDIKUMO - writes from Ayakoromo Town, Delta State

New Year: Eyelade-Ogbo Social Club of Burutu Commends Alapala for Effective Representation, Presents Gift ltems

The Eyelade-Ogbo Ere-Ama Social Club of Burutu Community has commended the member representing Burutu North Constituency in Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Anthony Ebitonmo Alapala for his effective representation over the past two years.

The social club women made the statement over the weekend during a new year visit, saying Alapala's representation has been heavily felt and impacted many people in the grassroots positively.

The social club also presented various gift items, such as dry fish, clothes and other locally sourced goods as a symbol of their love, gratitude and appreciation to the honorable member for his good works.

They expressed deep appreciation for his people-oriented leadership style and pledged their total and unwavering support for his continuous service to the community.

In his response, Hon. Alapala Anthony thanked the group for the warm reception and thoughtful gifts, describing the gesture as encouraging and motivating. He reaffirmed his dedication to serving the people of Burutu with sincerity, transparency, accountability and commitment to grassroots development.

The event further strengthened the bond between the lawmaker and the people, reflecting a shared vision for progress, unity, and sustainable development in Burutu Community.

Rivers Political Tussle: PANDEF Calls for Restraint and Forbearance, Sets up High Level Chief Kanu Agabi Reconciliation Committee

The Board and National Executive Committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the apex socio-political body representing the people of the South-South geopolitical zone, notes with very grave concern the recent spate of political developments in Rivers State. Regrettably, these developments have now degenerated into the decision of the Rivers State House of Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against the Governor of the State and the Deputy Governor.  

2. This is a deeply disturbing situation that demands urgent attention in order to forestall further escalation and breakdown of law and order. This concern is heightened by the critical importance and strategic centrality of Rivers State to the Niger Delta region and to the broader socio-political stability and economic wellbeing of Nigeria as a whole.

3. In keeping with its non-partisan posture and its overarching role as a unifying and motherly platform for the region, PANDEF calls on all parties involved in the resurgent political imbroglio to sheathe the sword and embrace peace, guided by the principles of give-and-take, dialogue, tolerance, and political equanimity. All stakeholders must place paramount importance on peace, development, and the welfare of the people of Rivers State, as well as the interests of other citizens of the South-South, Nigerians at large, and the sizeable expatriate community resident in the State. We must now focus squarely on good governance and development of the state.

4. PANDEF commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), respected elders of Rivers State, and other well-meaning Nigerians for their previous and ongoing efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the State.

5. However, in line with its long-standing tradition and proven record in peace-making and peace-building initiatives across the Niger Delta, PANDEF has constituted a high-level team of eminent Nigerians to intervene in the matter, as listed hereunder:

i. Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, CON

(Former Attorney-General of the Federation) – Chairman

ii. Senator Obende Domingo

(Former Senator, Edo North) – Vice Chairman

iii. Rt Hon (Chief) Essien Nduese, CON, (Former Minister of Housing)

iv. Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agari, OON 

(Retired Federal Permanent Secretary) – Member

v. Chief Mike Ejiofor (RTD Director, Department of State Service), Member

vi. Mrs. Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN

(Former Attorney-General, Cross River State) – Member

vii. Prince Godwin Okotie

(Deputy National Secretary, PANDEF) – Secretary

6. PANDEF calls on all parties to fully cooperate with this distinguished and highly respected team of senior Nigerians and sons and daughters of the South-South zone, as they selflessly commit their time and experience to this arduous assignment, with the objective of achieving a peaceful, fair, and sustainable resolution through a dispassionate and inclusive process.

KING ALFRED DIETE-SPIFF, CFR

AMANYANABO OF TWON-BRASS,

CO-CHAIRMAN, BOT

OBONG (ARC) VICTOR ATTAH,

FORMER GOVERNOR, AKWA STATE,

CO-CHAIRMAN, BOT

AMB. (DR.) GODKNOWS BOLADEI IGALI, OON

NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

PAP Sends Additional 34 Foreign Post-graduate Scholarship Beneficiaries To UK Varsities

The Presidential Amnesty Programme, on Thursday, deployed additional 34 foreign post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries to various universities in the United Kingdom for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The scholars' programmes include data science, fintech analytics, cyber security, international energy law and policy, construction project management, public health, agri-food technology, electrical and petroleum engineering, among others.

More foreign post-graduate scholars will be sent to UK universities in the current academic session.

In December 2025, nine students, who were the first set of offshore post-graduate scholarship developments by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024-2025 academic year, graduated from their various programmes in UK universities.

Otuaro has deployed over 9000 students to universities within and outside Nigeria for different industry-relevant programmes since he assumed office in March 2024.

Speaking at the pre-departure orientation programme for the scholars at the PAP headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday, Otuaro said that the large-scale deployment was aimed at making the Niger Delta a knowledge-driven region.

He said that his leadership reinvigorated the programme to give it a new momentum in service delivery to the people of the region based on the mandate of President Bola Tinubu.

Otuaro said, "We are sending all of you for post-graduate studies in various universities in the United Kingdom.

"The PAP now has a new momentum and direction because of the repositioning and broad reforms that we carried out in line with the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

"The objective behind the huge scholarships deployment is to ensure that we develop the needed human capital to transform the Niger Delta and generate knowledge-wealth.

"We want to develop relevant manpower in critical disciplines for our region and by extension, the country, because you are expected to contribute your quota to national development after successful graduation."

The PAP boss, who was represented at the event by his Technical Assistant, Mr Edgar Biu, advised the scholars to study hard to achieve academic excellence in their various fields of research.

According to him, the scholars have an obligation to justify the Federal Government's investment in their education and future.

He reiterated his warning that beneficiaries should not take for granted the opportunity to further their academic pursuits in the interest of the Niger Delta and indeed the country.

Otuaro expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his "enormous interest and support for the Programme", particularly the approval of an upward review of the programme's budget from N65billion to N150billion.

He also expressed gratitude to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his impeccable guidance and supervision of the programme's initiatives.

Otuaro, therefore, cautioned the scholars to obey their host country's laws and the rules and regulations of their various institutions, stressing that they are ambassadors of Nigeria, the Niger Delta and their communities and families. 

Highpoint of the orientation programme was the presentation of laptops to the scholars to help them in their studies.

Signed:

Mr Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme,

8 January 2026.