General
‘Change Begins With Me’ Not To ‘Tame Nigerians—Minister
By Ebitonye Akpodigha
Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, has reacted to a story published by The Economist, claiming that the recently launched ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign by the Federal Government was to cage Nigerians.
Mr Mohammed said the article published in the paper’s print edition of September 24, 2016, entitled: ‘Nigeria’s war against indiscipline, Behave or be whipped’, was “loaded with innuendos and decidedly pejorative at best, and downright racist at worst.”
The Minister, in his reaction, further said The Economist, in its rush to discredit the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign, fell below its own standards by choosing to be economical with the truth.
“Contrary to the newspaper’s self-professed belief in ‘plain language’, the article in question, from the headline to the body, is a master-piece of embellishment or dressed-up language. It is loaded with innuendos and decidedly pejorative at best, and downright racist at worst.
“The Economist wrote that President Buhari wants to ‘tame’ Nigerians with the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign. For those who are the owners of the English language, the use of that word is unpardonable, the verb ‘tame’ suggests that Nigerians are some kind of wild animals that must be domesticated, and the usage reveals the mind-set of the authors of the article: a deliberate put down of a whole people under the guise of criticising a government policy.
“The paper, in striving to reach a preconceived conclusion, also insinuated that some 150,000 volunteers are being trained as enforcers of the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign. This is not true. “In his speech at the launch of the campaign on September 8, 2016, the President, a globally-acknowledged leader who believes strongly in the rule of law, left no one in doubt that moral suasion, the very antithesis of force, will be employed to achieve attitudinal change among Nigerians.
“In that speech, the President said: ‘I am therefore appealing to all Nigerians to be part of this campaign.’ To the best of our knowledge and, surely the knowledge of those who own the language, the words ‘appeal’ and ‘enforce’ are not synonymous.
“In its rush to discredit the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign, The Economist, a widely respected newspaper, fell below its own standards by choosing to be economical with the truth. Enforcement is not part of the strategies to be employed under the campaign, and nowhere has it been said that the ‘moral police’ will be unleashed, as reported by the newspaper.
“In writing the story, the paper did not even deem it necessary to speak with any official of the government, thus breaching one of the codes of journalism, which is fairness. It chose instead to quote a ‘critic’ of Mr President in a perfunctory manner,” Mr Mohammed said.
He went on to point out that, “Again, The Economist made the same mistakes that most critics of the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign have made: Rushing to comment on a campaign they do not understand. The Campaign had barely been launched when the critics brought out their big guns to shoot it down. In the process, many of them ended up shooting themselves in the foot. Had they tarried a while to allow the government to roll out the details of the campaign, they might have shown more circumspection than they did in their criticism.
“The campaign, which the President said ‘will help restore our value system and rekindle our nationalistic fervour’, is not designed to shift any responsibility to Nigerians, as many have erroneously said.
“It is an all-inclusive campaign that was designed to start with the leadership. That much was explained by the President when he said the government would ‘drive the campaign’ and that it must be strongly supported by all concerned individually. ‘Change Begins With Me’ was designed to start from the President, then trickle down to the Vice President, Ministers, other top government officials and to all citizens. What is the campaign asking Nigerians to do? Be the change they want to see in the society.
“In other words, if we all want an orderly society, for example, the motorists among us must obey traffic rules, our aggrieved youth must stop destroying public property, patent medicine sellers must stop selling fake drugs, commercial vehicle drivers must stop taking alcoholic beverages before driving etc.
“There is nothing extraordinary or over-burdening in all these. We are the fundamental units of the society. If we are not willing to change our ways for the better, we cannot expect a better society.
“The Economist said that from its earliest days, the paper had ‘looked abroad, both for subjects to write about and for circulation’. That means the paper must be aware that many countries in the world have also embarked on the kind of campaign that Nigeria launched on September 8, 2016.
“In 1979, Singapore launched the National Courtesy Campaign to encourage Singaporeans to be more kind and considerate to one another.
“In 2011, Mozambique launched a campaign to educate students on how to treat foreign tourists as part of preparations for the country’s hosting of the All-Africa Games in that year.
“In 2015, China launched a campaign to ‘name and shame’ any of its own tourists who behave badly, either at home or abroad.
“And this year, the Tokyo Good Manners Project was launched to improve manners in the metropolis of the Japanese capital.
“It is therefore uncharitable for The Economist to hide behind the facade of its own prejudice to denigrate Nigeria’s genuine effort at national re-orientation.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
A former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has died at the age of 71.
Justice Muhammad reportedly passed away at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, about two weeks before his 72nd birthday, which would have fallen on December 31.
His death was confirmed on Tuesday in Abuja by the Bauchi State Governor, Mr Bala Mohammed, in a condolence message issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Mukhtar Gidado.
Governor Mohammed noted that Justice Muhammad was a distinguished son of Bauchi State whose life and career were marked by dedication, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law.
“The late jurist was a venerable and accomplished legal icon who rose through the ranks of the judiciary with diligence and distinction, serving as a Judge of the High Court, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice of the Supreme Court, and ultimately as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 2019 to 2022,” he said.
According to the governor, Justice Muhammad was widely respected for his legal acumen, discipline, and immense contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria’s judicial system.
He added that the conferment of the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the late jurist was a testament to his outstanding service to the nation.
Mr Mohammed extended heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, his friends, colleagues in the legal profession, and the people of Bauchi State and Nigeria as a whole.
Also, the Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS) lauded the former jurist in its condolence message.
In the statement titled NAMLAS Condolence Message on the Passing of Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, the association described his death as a monumental loss to the Nigerian judiciary and the nation.
“The Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Students receives with profound sorrow the news of the passing of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria. His demise is a monumental loss to the Nigerian judiciary, the legal profession, the Muslim Ummah, and the nation at large.”
NAMLAS described the late jurist as a towering figure of integrity, humility and unwavering commitment to justice, noting that throughout his judicial career, he exemplified fairness, courage and fidelity to the rule of law.
The association said that as Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad discharged his responsibilities with wisdom and restraint, leaving behind a legacy that would continue to guide generations of legal practitioners.
Beyond his judicial service, NAMLAS highlighted his role as a mentor to young Muslim law students across the country, describing him as a fatherly figure and a source of encouragement.
“To NAMLAS, the late Chief Justice was more than a jurist; he was a fatherly pillar and a source of encouragement to Muslim law students nationwide,” the statement said.
The association extended its condolences to the family of the deceased, the Nigerian judiciary, the Federal Government and the Muslim Ummah, while praying for the repose of his soul.
Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 2019 until his retirement in 2022.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) are strengthening their collaboration to combat the diversion of petroleum products intended for domestic use and to safeguard Nigeria’s energy security.
This renewed partnership was highlighted during a meeting between Comptroller General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi and the NMDPRA Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, at Customs House, Maitama, Abuja.
During the engagement, Mr Adeniyi reaffirmed the service’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency cooperation, particularly in safeguarding Nigeria’s domestic energy security and ensuring that petroleum products meant for local consumption are not diverted to neighbouring countries.
He noted that collaboration between both agencies had already produced measurable results, especially through Operation Whirlwind, which he described as a model for intelligence sharing, joint enforcement and coordinated field operations.
He said the Nigeria Customs Service remains fully aligned with ongoing reforms in the petroleum regulatory space and will continue to provide technical input, operational feedback and border management expertise to support the implementation of new guidelines being developed by the NMDPRA.
He commended the Authority for its efforts to harmonise legacy processes with the Petroleum Industry Act, stressing that clear and efficient export point procedures are essential as Nigeria moves from being a net importer to an emerging exporter of petroleum products.
“We welcome every initiative that strengthens energy security and ensures that the gains made in reducing cross border diversion are not reversed. Our shared responsibility is to protect national interest, support legitimate trade and maintain a transparent system that stakeholders can rely on. We will continue to work closely with sister agencies to achieve these outcomes,” he stated.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Mr Ukoha, said the NMDPRA enjoys a longstanding and productive working relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service, noting that Operation Whirlwind remained the high point of that collaboration.
He explained that both agencies deployed personnel, exchanged intelligence and jointly monitored petroleum products in border corridors, leading to a marked reduction in cross border diversion.
Ukoha said the purpose of the visit was to brief the CGC on newly developed guidelines for designating export points for petroleum products as Nigeria’s refining capacity expands.
He said the NMDPRA is engaging key institutions, including Customs, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Nigerian Navy, to ensure the guidelines reflect operational realities before implementation.
The NMDPRA executive recalled several field operations and strategic engagements with the Customs leadership, including the joint launch of Operation Whirlwind in Yola, where both agencies reinforced their commitment to curbing diversion and securing the domestic supply chain.
He added that while enforcement had played a major role in reducing irregular movements of petroleum products, the removal of fuel subsidy had significantly reduced the economic incentive for cross border smuggling.
According to him, the authority will continue to work closely with the Customs Service to sustain progress and ensure that petroleum exports are properly regulated without exposing the country to energy security risks.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The president of Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote, has published details alleging extensive foreign education expenses made by the chief executive of the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, on four children in a new turn of event between the businessman and regulators.
Speaking on Sunday, the business mogul alleged that Mr Ahmed paid about $5 million for the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland, and wondered how the government official could afford to pay such amount of money when there are several students in the home state of Mr Ahmed, Sokoto State. He threatened to published more details.
In the latest illustrated claims, Mr Dangote alleged that Mr Ahmed’s children attended secondary schools in Switzerland for about six years each. He listed the schools as Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey and La Garenne International School. He named the children of Mr Ahmed as Faisal Farouk, Farouk Jr., Ashraf Farouk, and Farhana Farouk.
Mr Dangote alleged that the total cost of secondary education for the four children — covering tuition, upkeep, travel and related expenses exceeded $5 million.
He further claimed that an additional $2 million was spent on university education for the four children over a four-year period.
Specific figures were also cited for 2025, with Mr Dangote alleging that about $210,000 was spent on one child’s Master of Business Administration programme at Harvard University.
The breakdown reportedly includes $150,000 for tuition and $60,000 for accommodation, travel and other incidentals.
The claims have not been independently verified by Business Post at the time of filing this report but Mr Dangote revealed these details in an advertorial in most of the national newspaper on Tuesday.
Also, Mr Ahmed has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
Mr Dangote earlier called on the authorities to institute a full scale investigation into the activities of the NMDPRA boss, with the outcome made public.
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