General
Africa’s Traditional Institution Under Serious Threat—Monarch
**Says Libation Not Fetish
By Dipo Olowookere
A paramount ruler in the South-South region of Nigeria, Dr Appolus Chu, who is the Egbere Emere Okori of Eleme kingdom, has called on monarchs across the country to do well within their power to preserve and promote the African culture.
This is as he said civilization was eroding today’s society with the advent of western culture, which he said was threatening the African tradition.
The custodian of the local culture, during a courtesy visit to the Esogban of Benin Kingdom in Edo State, Chief D.U. Edebiri, Mr Chu discredited the notion that libation was a fetish practice, and stressed that it is an African traditional means of offering prayers and thanksgiving.
“Libation is prayer and what do you do when you offer prayer? You pray for progress, success, good health and every good things of life.
“The drinks that are used are bought from the market and not from the shrine, so also is the palm wine that is used.
“And as you are praying, you are libating and directing your faith towards your demands and you appease the gods, because we believe the gods are here.
“It is just like when you go to church and the pastor uses olive oil and water to pray. When the congregation choruses amen, it is agreeing that God has answered the prayer. So, libation is part of our culture, and we shouldn’t neglect our culture,” he said.
The monarch said further that, “The traditional institution of Africa is under a form of blackmail. We are being blackmailed to despise and snub our cultural system.
“And we are abandoning our tradition out of ignorance. Today, our children who are now pastors and bishops are propagating the Western religions and snubbing our traditional beliefs and values. As a strong believer in African tradions and culture, I will advocate that we should not see libation as a fetish practice. It is just a form of prayer ad an integral part of our culture.”
In his remarks, Chief Edebiri consented to the views of HRH Chu, and presented him with a gift, after which libation was offered.
“We believe that when you die, you go to heaven and you meet your ancestors, those who have left before you.
“They also congregate there, as we do here on earth. And whenever we are doing anything here, we remember them, so that they may be part of what we are doing and bless whatever project we are embarking on. We always pour libation so that our ancestors will partake in whatever we are doing. It has nothing to do with fetish activity. There is no juju when you pour libation. It is your conscience, it is your mind, because you believe that you are coming from a tradition. The tradition is the belief that your parents did it and they lived well. If you do it too, you will live well and die well. So, pouring libation has nothing to do with being fetish.”
“As a matter of fact, in a football match, if a team wins, you will see people opening bottles of champaign to celebrate. That is pouring libation. If your son buys a new car and he brings it home, you pour libation to bless that gift.
“So, those who say that pouring of libation is fetish are being misled and misinformed. In the African tradition, we pour libation after kolanut, so that our ancestors will bless whatever we want to do,” he concluded
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged its commitment to provide the regulatory leadership, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement required to successfully develop and implement a robust National Action Plan on maritime decarbonization in Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Dayo Mobereola, made this known during the National Stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a National Maritime Decarbonization Action Plan, further describing the workshop as a critical step in actualising the Federal Government’s blue economy and climate objectives.
Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the NIMASA DG underscored the significance of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, a technical cooperation initiative /designed to support developing countries in implementing the IMO GHG Strategy.
According to him, the National Action Plan being developed will reflect national realities, leverage existing capacities, address identified gaps, and align with broader economic and environmental priorities of the federal government.
Mr Mobereola stressed that “this transition is not merely about compliance with international obligations, it is about safeguarding our marine environment, protecting public health, strengthening the blue economy, and ensuring that our maritime industry remains competitive and future-ready”, the DG said.
Also speaking at the event was the Technical Manager of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, Ms Astrid Dispert, who highlighted that the overarching objective of the initiative is to advance a coherent and globally aligned regulatory framework to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
She also emphasised that NIMASA plays a pivotal role in driving the project at the national level.
The IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project provides technical expertise and institutional support to assist countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans that promote sustainable shipping practices, encourage investment in clean technologies, and strengthen capacity for long-term emissions reduction.
Through this collaboration, the federal government is advancing deliberate steps towards maritime decarbonization, reinforcing its commitment to global climate goals and ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for the sector.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply with its digital submission process effective March 1.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, noting that the move was part of the bureau’s commitment to digital transformation and paperless governance.
It explained that the transition followed an earlier circular of Aug. 4, 2025, which introduced electronic submission procedures.
According to the bureau, it has successfully moved from physical filings to a dedicated e-mail service for document submissions and is now advancing to a more robust and integrated system.
The circular announced the inauguration of the BPP Digital Submission Portal, a web-based platform designed to enable MDAs submit procurement-related documents directly to the Bureau.
It stated that the automated platform would streamline the submission process, enhance transparency and ensure accelerated tracking of procurement-related documents and petitions.
“With effect from March 1, all MDAs will be required to use the portal to submit requests for ‘No Objection’ Certificates, approvals for ‘No Objection’ for special procurements, clarifications and status updates on submissions,” the bureau said.
It added that the portal would be hosted on the Bureau’s official website and would become fully operational from the effective date.
The bureau warned that physical submissions or manual hand-deliveries would no longer be prioritised and would eventually be rejected following the full transition to the digital platform.
It urged accounting officers to brief their procurement departments and ICT units on the development to ensure seamless processing of procurement activities from March 1.
It further advised MDAs to contact the Bureau via its official email for information on the onboarding process and integration into the portal.
The bureau emphasised that full compliance by all MDAs was required to ensure a smooth transition and avoid delays in the implementation of the 2026 fiscal year procurement processes.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, from office.
The Senate Committee on Finance, while passing a resolution in Abuja on Thursday, accused Mr Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of failing to honour the Senate’s invitations to account for the finances of his agency.
“He refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee.
“We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“Each time we invite him, he gives us excuses,” the Chairman of the committee, Mr Sani Musa, said as the committee passed the resolution.
CAC was part of a group of agencies that the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended zero allocation for the year 2026, for allegedly failing to account for public funds appropriated to them.
The committee, at an investigative hearing held two weeks ago, accused CAC and some other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of shunning invitations to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s annual reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The PAC chairman, Mr Bamidele Salam, stated that the National Assembly should not continue to appropriate public funds to institutions that disregard accountability mechanisms, saying this will create fiscal discipline and strengthen transparency across federal institutions and conform with extant financial regulations and the oversight powers of the parliament.
“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot, in good conscience, expect fresh budgetary provisions. Accountability is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation,” he said.
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