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Tribute to Nigeria’s Unsung Heroes
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By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart” – Hercules
They are out there sacrificing their sweat, valuable time, boundless energy and precious resources to make a positive impact on the quality of life of fellow citizens, virtually on daily basis.They are diligent at their duties; exhibiting promptitude, passion and perseverance, not counting the cost, if only to put a smile on other people’s faces. But they are hardly recognized at high class award ceremonies, all because they are not the Dangotes, the Otedolas, the Jim Ovias and the Alakijas, or even the wave-making entertainers and so called celebrities. Yet, we clamour for a better country and a brighter world. What a life of contradictions!
Mind you, their professional spectrum spans different fields of human endeavor – from teachers, nurses, office assistants, through skillful artisans, security personnel to commited caregivers. But what marks them out is their avowed commitment to duty and the selfless service to humanity. Their moving mantra, or propelling philosophy is to bring out the best in them for the good of others. That is true leadership for you, all because you do not need to wear a title to be a leader, as the world- acclaimed author, Mark Sanborn rightly highlighted in his bestselling book of the same title.
Of great significance therefore, is the increasing need for Nigeria’s mass media to begin to identify, project and promote such unique and rare individuals as the society’s enduring heroes. They should be projected as our moral compass, more so in this strange era of overt focus on maddening money and mindless materialism, irrespective of their sources of inflow. Indeed, this is also the right moment to understand such individuals as the beacon bearers the younger generation of Nigerians need to guide them forward through the long, dark tunnel of ignorance and poverty. A few examples would shed more light on the purpose of this clarion call.
In fact, a personal experience evolved between the subject of the matter and my humble self back in 2018. We became friends on Facebook and yours truly always appreciated his prayers. To hit the nail on the head, he confessed that he was attracted to my person because reading through my weekly opinion essays as published by different newspapers, magazines and online portals, clearly convinced him that I have passion for good governance in Nigeria.By November of that year he invited me as one of the members of his Foundation- the Ibiyinka Macaulay Foundation with the mission of giving a helping hand to the needy. Worthy of note is that the United Kingdom -based Ibiyinka Macaulay happens to be of the Fourth generation in the lineage of the late political icon, Herbert Macaulay.
Fast forward to Saturday May 18, 2019 and yours truly was the Media Consultant to the Foundation which kick- started the provision of different gift items such as food, drugs as well as cash for the needy Nigerians at different parts of Lagos. These included the Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home at Akoka, the Lagos Cheshire Home,Mushin and the Tower of Refuge Orphanage/ Motherless Babies Home, Aguda, Surulere. But that was not all there was to his uncommon spirit of generosity.
In addition to these the Macaulay Foundation also commissioned boreholes, renovated toilets and presented electric generators and television sets to schools at Iyu Road, Surulere. And after that he led the program of feeding the underprivileged people at the close of their fasting at Ebute Meta axis of Lagos state. But have you heard about Ibiyinka Macaulay before now? That is the million- naira question. Yet, there are several other unsung heroes making their mark in Nigeria’s socio– economic landscape.
Mr. Solomon Folorunsho is another of such precious pearls of humanity. As a pastor who practices what he preaches he is the Coordinator of the Internally Displaced Persons( IDP) camp at Uhogua, Benin, Edo state. He and members of his able team have been at the forefront of the provision of various food items, drugs, clothing materials and the payment of school fees for the children there in the camp. Good enough, some of them have maximized the opportunities provided to improve on their skills and learning, moving from there to some tertiary institutions.
It was therefore, a piece of heart-warming news that in November 2024 the Benin branch of the Nigeria Society of Engineers ( NSE ) provided food items at the camp. Perhaps, some other concerned Nigerians would reach out to the IDP camp to provide solar-powered boreholes,solar lights and more hostels that they are requesting for. It is big kudos to Pastor Folorunsho for beaming his God-given light of hope for survival for the needy in the darkness of hunger and poverty, as one of the country ‘s unsung heroes.
As a way forward in recognizing our history- making change makers, across various fields of human endeavor different organizations that give awards should take a cue from Cadbury Schweppes company. It established the Bournvita Teachers’ Awards in 2002. The noble and praise -worthy aim of course, is to celebrate excellence in the long-forgotten field of quality education delivery. The award which comes with a plaque,a GSM phone with sim card, N100,000 cash and one-year supply of Bournvita is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ). The award which had Mrs. Philomena Igweze and Mr. John Ukaonu as the best teachers in both primary and secondary schools across the country back in 2002 has since transformed in scale and style. Laudable, is it not?
Of course, it is.
So, to guide the society right on the solid path to moral and professional rejuvenation, this is the time to change the narrative from the base sentiments of thinking that only the celebrities and politicians, who are supposed to be our servants are the only important people around. No! “Real leadership is that of leaders recognizing that they serve the people, that they lead”. That is according to Pete Hoekstra and it should serve as food – for – thought for us all.
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The Court of Appeal has inaugurated 375 judges for election petition tribunals across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting in motion preparations for the adjudication of electoral disputes that may arise from the polls.
President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, inaugurated the judges on Monday at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja, coming 68 days before the 2027 general elections.
The tribunals will hear and determine petitions arising from elections into the National and State Houses of Assembly, as well as governorship elections, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dongban-Mensem said the exercise represents an important institutional step towards safeguarding constitutional democracy, upholding the rule of law and preserving the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
She stressed that the responsibility of the judiciary extends beyond the formal determination of disputes, noting that the manner in which election petitions are handled has significant implications for public confidence in democratic governance.
“This gathering is more than a ceremonial event; it is an important institutional preparation for one of the most consequential responsibilities entrusted to the judiciary,” she said.
Dongban-Mensem maintained that the credibility of democratic institutions depends not only on the conduct of elections but also on the availability of impartial and effective judicial mechanisms for resolving disagreements over electoral outcomes.
“The credibility of democracy depends not only on the conduct of elections but also on the existence of impartial, effective, and timely mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes,” she added.
She further explained that the judiciary’s responsibility in electoral matters is central to ensure that the outcome of democratic contests is subjected to lawful scrutiny whenever challenged.
“Through the fair determination of such disputes, the Judiciary safeguards the people’s mandate, upholds constitutional supremacy and sustains public confidence in democratic governance,” Dongban-Mensem noted.
Providing a breakdown of the tribunal membership, Dongban-Mensem disclosed that the 375 judges were nominated from various courts and judicial institutions across the country.
She said 138 of the judges are returning members who had previously served on election petition tribunals, while 237 are newly nominated.
“Of this number, 138 are returning members with previous Tribunal experience, while 237 are newly nominated members,” she said.
The composition brings together judicial officers with previous experience in election petition proceedings and newly nominated members who will be participating in the tribunal process for the first time.
The Court of Appeal President urged the judges to approach their assignments with a strong sense of responsibility, reminding them that their conduct and decisions would attract considerable public scrutiny.
She cautioned them, in particular, to remain mindful of the significance of their judicial responsibilities in determining disputes capable of affecting the political fortunes of candidates and parties, as well as public confidence in the electoral process.
The tribunal judges are expected to discharge their duties in accordance with the Constitution and applicable electoral laws, ensuring that petitions brought before them receive fair and lawful consideration.
The inauguration is pursuant to the constitutional and statutory framework governing the establishment and operation of election petition tribunals in Nigeria.
Section 285(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, vests in the President of the Court of Appeal the responsibility of constituting election petition tribunals to adjudicate disputes arising from National and State Houses of Assembly elections, as well as governorship elections.
Similarly, Section 134(3)(a) and (b) of the Electoral Act, 2026, prescribes timelines for constituting the tribunals and opening their registries.
These provisions establish the legal framework for the tribunals to commence operations and entertain petitions arising from the elections.
The inauguration of the 375 judges comes as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections, with the judiciary expected to play a critical role in resolving post-election disputes and determining challenges to electoral outcomes in accordance with the law.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Lagos, Funso Doherty, has accused vested interests within the State’s informal transport sector of frustrating efforts to modernise public transportation.
Doherty made the remarks during the Lagos governorship debate on Friday organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium comprising Channels Television, TVC News, The PUNCH, TheCable and Vanguard, where he criticised the continued reliance on ageing commercial buses and the influence of the agbero system in the State’s transport sector.
He questioned why successive administrations had failed to modernise public transportation despite the thousands of rickety buses operating across Lagos.
“Our public transportation system is not modernised. Thousands of rickety buses are moving around. We must ask ourselves: are these what our people deserve? Why has it taken so long to modernise public transportation?” he asked.
The NDC candidate argued that the failure to reform the system is not accidental, alleging that powerful interests benefit from the existing arrangement.
“In my opinion, the lack of modern transportation is not by accident. There are vested interests in operating the bus system the way it is. Many of us understand the agbero system; there is an ecosystem around it, and there is no political will to deal with that problem,” he said.
Doherty, who promised to overhaul the State’s public transportation system if elected, said his administration would not be beholden to informal transport networks.
“We would modernise public transportation because we would be elected by the people and not by the agbero network,” he added.
