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Voice of Emancipation: Defending the Real Victims

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Throughout history, there have been many marginalised, victimised and oppressed subsections of society, from the slave trade, to the marginalisation of women, to the belief that children have no worth until they come of age. Yet in all of these, whenever the oppressed have sought to gain equal standing with their oppressors, those in a position of privilege declare themselves to be victimised by the request.

Take, for example, the response to the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement, whilst having been in existence for nearly a decade, really came to the forefront of society’s collective consciousness in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, USA. People began to raise the banner for a proactive change in mindset, such that black people and other minority ethnic groups should receive equitable treatment comparable to the white predominators. However, almost simultaneously, a counter-campaign arose, advocating “All Lives Matter”.

This campaign was propagated nearly exclusively by those who already enjoy privilege within society: predominantly white and largely male. Despite having a societal advantage in terms of colour and gender from their birth, when those disadvantaged tried to say, “Hey, I matter too,” the All Lives Matter advocates felt so threatened that they had to try to bring the spotlight back to themselves.

This trend, recurring cyclically through history, has not passed Nigeria by. Indeed, we recently saw Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former Governor of Lagos State, decrying his unjust treatment in his political party trying to outsmart him in the recently-concluded presidential primaries. After a considerable amount of maneuvering, Tinubu emerged as the flagbearer, insisting that it is the turn of the Yoruba tribe to provide the next president of Nigeria. He went a stage further, pronouncing that, should a Yoruba be appointed president, as he contends is their due, then he is the worthiest to take that position.

I have no personal problem with Tinubu’s ambition toward becoming the president of Nigeria. But when I look at his campaign for the presidential candidacy, to me it would appear that Tinubu was playing the victim card in order to strengthen his position to be the eventual flagbearer. However, if one was to critically assess the situation honestly, the real victims are the ordinary Yoruba people, suffering under the oppression of a contemptuous Nigeria as a whole, and by other large ethnic groups within the country.

The politicians in Nigeria know how to manipulate the emotions of our people when elections arrive. But once the election is over, they don the mantle of overlords who are unconcerned with the problems of the common people. Governance ought to be a selfless service to humanity, where those who must aspire to become leaders must possess a clear vision of their plans for the coming generation/s, not merely limited to this present one.

In 2015, I implored friends and families to open their eyes to the truth that further elections in Nigeria will never bring about the developments and quality of life that we all hope for. Alas, most people cannot see beyond the political assertion that our only option is to choose which of two evils to instate. I argued that there ought to be another way of doing things, that if the present way does not serve for our benefit, then we need to pause, reaffirm what we want and assess how best to achieve it, before enacting further elections.

My narrative wasn’t a popular one; the prevailing view being, let Buhari be president, after eight years it would be the turn of the Yoruba and we can do whatever we want. This to me presents as entirely absurd: how can the progress of an entire race be placed on hold for eight years? Yet our elders and leaders see no incongruity in that. Suppose that even if a Yoruba did become president of Nigeria for eight years, what happens in the following eight years when a Yoruba is not in power? These are legitimate questions, but our elders and leaders championing a Yoruba presidency fail to provide answers.

I will not engage in the self-deception that maybe something good will come out of it; a rotten tree can never produce any fruit that is not itself rotten. Nigeria is bankrupt already, a failed nation waiting for its burial. When Lugard amalgamated the country, he tried with all he had to justify his work by demonstrating that the new country was able to live within its means. However, the reality today is that Nigeria is borrowing more than half of its income required to run the economy. This situation is dire in the extreme, not just for this generation but for the generations as yet unborn. And yet, rather than our elders to raise an alarm, they are watching impotently and burying their heads in the sand.

It is superfluous to state that a Yoruba presidency means nothing for the Yoruba people. After all, Fashola, the Minister of Works, is a Yoruba man as is other Yoruba ministers, but this has not resulted in the roads in Yorubaland to be even a passable standard. As such, it may be that having a Yoruba presidency will be worse than bad for the Yoruba people: it may even, God forbid, spell doom for us. The best outcome – indeed, the only survivable outcome – for the Yoruba people is to gain our independence. Only then will we be able to decide how we want to govern ourselves, and not have to sacrifice eight or even 16 years, just to gain a presidency that ultimately confers no benefit to the people.

When Awolowo was Premier of Yorubaland, his reign brought about the golden years of development for the Yoruba people that are unrivalled even ’til today. However, when he ventured into Nigerian politics, not only did he not bring any further development to Yorubaland, he engendered an environment in which Yorubaland began to diminish until reaching the pitiable situation in which we see it today.

I want every Yoruba person to understand that WE are the real victims. This time around, the campaign should be about how to get out of this disadvantageous mess in which we find ourselves being melded into Nigeria; not how a Yoruba person can become president. My personal feeling is that I would rather the presidency be handed to a northerner even worse than Buhari: at least then people’s eyes will truly be opened to the calamitous situation in which we have found ourselves. This is not the time to be clamouring for a Yoruba presidency, but rather a Yoruba independent nation. That, I believe, should be our ultimate priority and demand at this critical moment.

If we think a Yoruba presidency will bring us any closer to achieving an independent Yoruba nation, I must ask us to think again. A Yoruba president will be not for the Yoruba people alone but for the entirety of Nigeria. Their allegiance will be to Nigeria in its current incarnation, and they will bear the Yoruba people no heed, not caring if the entire Yoruba race goes to ruin. We have seen the Northerners handle the insecurity in the north with kid gloves, to the point that today it is beyond their control. Those Yoruba elders who are still campaigning for a Yoruba presidency need to rethink their stand and ask themselves some critical and likely disquieting questions:

In the next 20 years, will the Yoruba people be better off outside Nigeria or inside Nigeria with a Yoruba presidency? If the answer is the former, then why do we invest our efforts in advocating for continuing this road of self-destruction, rather than striving for an independent Yoruba nation? If anyone thinks a Yoruba presidency will bring progress and prosperity to the Yoruba people, I believe they will be in for a rude shock.

My perspective is this: the campaign for an independent Yoruba nation draws nearer by the day and its emergence will be seen sooner rather than later. Those who still remain on the fence will be better off making their minds fast on the direction they want the Yoruba to take. We must see beyond the narrative that political aspirants would seek to perpetuate, that they are the victims; instead that it is the people who will bear the brunt if further misrule is permitted in Nigeria. This time around, we must realise the truth of the situation and act so that we may divert the course of our trajectory and obviate the impending cataclysm.

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US Lawmaker Weeps over Brutal Killing of Christians in Plateau

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A United States representative, Anna Paulina Luna, has raised the alarm over what she described as the incessant attacks and killings of Christians across different communities in Plateau State by Fulani ethnic militia terrorists and Islamist extremists.

The US lawmaker, who made the allegations in a statement shared on her verified X account on Friday, accused both the state and the federal governments of not doing enough to protect Christians in the state from the regular attacks they suffer when the terrorists descend on the communities.

In a post titled, “What is happening in Nigeria right now?”, the US lawmaker lamented that thousands of Christians in Plateau were facing a mortal threat while security forces had struggled to contain the situation.

“Hundreds of Fulani ethnic militia terrorists descended on Christian communities across Plateau State.

“Thousands of civilians are under mortal threat while the Nigerian Army and security forces struggle to hold the line,” Luna wrote.

According to her, the attacks were preceded by a series of violent incidents targeting Christians and other civilians in the affected communities.

Giving some specifics, Paulina said a pastor and his church secretary were shot dead while they were on their way to church in the days leading up to the latest attacks, while five Christians were attacked in another incident while travelling in a vehicle.

“A pastor and his church secretary were shot dead on their way to church. Five Christians were ambushed in their car.

“A civilian guard was killed outside his own home. A man and his son were beaten and left in critical condition,” the lawmaker said.

The US representative also alleged that security agencies had never taken warnings and security alerts issued before the attacks seriously, questioning why they had not been followed.

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Food for Living: Pursue Passion More Than Profit (Pt. 2)

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By Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

Last week, we began discussing a grey and near-controversial topic, “pursue passion more than profit”. The topic cannot be exhaustive. Depending on who one is speaking to, different answers and understanding will be received because different things work for different people, and as they say, ‘different strokes for different people’.

It I worthy of note that a family man who is passionate about teaching or working in the non-profit space will be tempted to engage in business to feed his family. But someone with a stable financial background can afford to follow his passion and work as a teacher or in the non-profit space where the pay is not lucrative.

From a practical perspective, I currently work for the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. This is an agency that pays a good salary to the uniformed officers after they work for 51/2 years. In addition to the money they receive, there are countless hours of overtime, which doubles their income depending on how many hours they work. Some call it blood money because they can hardly get the same money in other institutions.

Why am I sharing this information? According to most of the officers; they basically work in the agency because of the money. Most of the officers are of the opinion that they can hardly make such money working in other private or public enterprises. The majority of these officers are not passionate about the job; they are just there to take care of their pressing bills. Some of them even have a timeline: they can work and then resign to start up their business or work in their areas of interest. This goes to tell you that they are trading their passion for profit, which is kind of work if looked at from a particular point of view, but then they are trading their joy and peace.

Let me share another example. In Nigeria, a popular artist, David Adeleke, aka Davido, is one man who followed his passion. This young man came from a wealthy background. He literally left generational wealth to sing. Many thought he was crazy. Davido’s father, billionaire businessman Adedeji Adeleke, initially opposed his music career, but he eventually became fully supportive. Davido’s father went as far as having police shut down shows or arresting people involved when Davido left school in the US to pursue music in Nigeria. Due to his passion for singing, Davido had to fund his early career secretly and rebel against his family’s wishes before breaking through.

Once Davido achieved massive success and proved he could be successful in the industry, his father accepted his path and gave him his blessing. Davido once stated that despite making his own fortune, his billionaire father still surprises him with huge financial gifts, such as wiring him $300,000 after a major performance at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

I doubt that Davido would have become this famous if he didn’t follow his passion. Davido can be described as a man whose passion is stronger than power.

I had to share these two perspectives to give clarity on the relativity of passion and profit.

Let’s analyze the concept of passion and profit. If I may ask you, what is passion? What is profit? And what does passion and profit mean to you? According to Cambridge University, passion was defined as a very strong feeling, emotion, or deep enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. For example, someone can have a strong emotion or a powerful state of feeling like intense love, excitement, anger, or hatred for something or somebody.

Passion can also be a deep interest or hobby which gives someone a strong liking or enthusiasm for an activity, such as cooking, music, or sports. In romantic cases, it can be a romantic or sexual desire: An intense physical or emotional attraction toward someone. In the spiritual context, it can be understood as the Sufferings of Jesus: Historically and in a religious context, it refers to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ between the Last Supper and the crucifixion (the Passion of Christ).

Profit, on the other hand, is the financial gain that remains when total revenue from an activity or business exceeds the total expenses and costs incurred, according to Investopedia. There are different types of profit:

  • Gross Profit: Revenue minus the direct cost of producing goods or services (COGS).
  • Operating Profit: Gross profit minus day-to-day operating expenses, excluding interest and taxes.
  • Net Profit: The final “bottom line” earnings left after all expenses, taxes, and interest are deducted.

Having given an overview of what passion and profit entail, let’s take a minute to understand the thin line between passion and profit. Just like authority is respected more than power, passion has more influence and is generally respected more than profit.  No doubt, it’s good to make a profit in business, but in this context, I am referring to the human resource space or human capacity development

On the surface, people may respect someone for the money one has, but they will value a person who is more passionate about a cause than one who has money but does not believe in the message they are preaching. There’s a saying: human beings are more than money. Just like, it’s better to have a good name than to have money.

People generally follow a leader or someone who they can relate to rather than someone who gives them money but is careless about their feelings. One message I heard countless times from one of my revered mentors regarding my career was to pursue passion over profits. According to him, passion is stronger than power. He likened passion to a scenario where a woman loves a man who has less money compared to a man who has money but does not have the values and vision she represents. According to these sets of ladies, money is good, but love conquers everything because if tomorrow the money travels, the marriage is bound to hit a rock, compared to a scene where a lady loves a man for who he is and what he represents. Even when the money is out, the friendship will still thrive.

According to the opposing schools of thought, while passion is good, it is they also believe that hard work beats talent, especially when talent is not put to good use.  So, even if one is passionate about a cause or has a talent that is yet to be developed, if one does not intentionally develop it, it will lie fallow. So, invariably, even if one is passionate about a cause, if they don’t have the strength to work on their passion, it’s advisable for them to focus on making money.

Here is my opinion: even though I subscribe to the position of focusing on or working for passion rather than for money, one must apply wisdom in navigating this tough terrain. One can decide to work for money and gather enough money to fund their passion because, at the end of the day, we all want to be happy, because happiness and fulfilment mean everything

In summary, while it is good to do what works for one and what is readily available, it’s imperatively important for one to strive for excellence and perfection, which can be found in passion.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny- Actualizing Your Birthright to Success, Unleash Your Destiny and The Six Pillars of Success . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com

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Police Detain Inspector over Ethnic Slur Against Igbo, Peter Obi

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The Lagos State Police Command has commenced disciplinary action against an inspector following a viral video in which he was seen making disparaging ethnic remarks while travelling in a public vehicle.

The officer, identified as Inspector Osumah Frank, made what the Command described as “careless, inappropriate and uncultured remarks,” according to a statement issued on Friday, September 25, 2026, and signed by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi.

In the video, Frank, who was in police uniform, was heard making remarks about Igbo people and discussing the political ambitions of a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. He also made comments involving President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The inspector was further heard suggesting that police officers could collect money to frustrate a political candidate’s chances of succeeding.

Reacting to the video, the Command said the officer’s remarks were made in his personal capacity and did not represent the position or views of either the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Command has commenced appropriate disciplinary action against the officer in line with established regulations of the Nigeria Police Force,” the statement said.

“It also wishes to make it clear that the statements made by the officer were made in his personal capacity and do not represent the position, views or official disposition of the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force,” it added.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) Tijani Fatai, said police personnel are required to maintain professionalism and respect for members of the public at all times.

“All personnel are expected to maintain professionalism, civility, discipline and respect for members of the public at all times,” the statement quoted Fatai as saying.

He said wearing the police uniform came with a responsibility to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Force, adding that the Command would not condone any conduct capable of bringing the police into disrepute or undermining public confidence in the Force.

The Command reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and “policing with humility and integrity.”

The video, which circulated widely on social media from around September 23, had drawn criticism over the officer’s remarks, particularly those concerning Igbo people and his comments about police officers collecting money to frustrate a political candidate.

The police did not state the specific disciplinary measures being taken against Frank.

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