SA News

By Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC Chieftain There is a point at which political criticism ceases to be constructive opposition and becomes a comedy of contradictions. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may have crossed that line with his latest position on fuel subsidy. Atiku has reportedly declared that if elected President, he would restore the petrol subsidy and ensure that whoever allegedly stole the money saved from subsidy removal refunds it. One cannot help but ask: is this the same Atiku Abubakar who, not too long ago, supported the removal of fuel subsidy? Indeed, Atiku had previously described subsidy removal as inevitable and supported the policy during the 2023 presidential campaign, while criticising the manner in which the Tinubu administration implemented the reform. Today, with the 2027 presidential contest taking shape, the same policy has apparently acquired a completely different meaning. This is not merely a change of mind. It raises a fundamental question about the cons...

Seye Oladejo By Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC Chieftain There is a new and important reality unfolding in Nigeria’s governance landscape: local governments are gaining greater fiscal autonomy at precisely the time when the federation’s revenue picture has improved significantly. This convergence presents both an opportunity and a test. For decades, local governments have complained that their responsibilities at the grassroots were not matched by adequate financial resources or sufficient control over their allocations. The constitutional and judicial push towards local government financial autonomy has therefore been welcomed as a potentially transformative development. At the same time, the significant increase in allocations from the Federation Account has expanded the financial space available to the three tiers of government. The question Nigerians are entitled to ask is simple: Where is the corresponding impact at the grassroots? More money must translate into more development. Autonom...

… 1,800 manhole covers, 1km fencing, 75 signs stolen from Coastal Road The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 39 suspects in connection with vandalism, robbery, cultism and other crimes across the state, with the police and Federal Ministry of Works intensifying efforts to protect critical infrastructure. The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Olayiwola Fatai, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command’sHeadquarters in Ikeja, where he highlighted the arrest of 10 suspects allegedly linked to repeated vandalism of the newly constructed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road. The suspects were arrested on August 17 following intelligence-led investigations into the destruction and theft of infrastructure along the road. Vandalised iron materials were recovered, while police said preliminary investigations linked the suspects to the repeated attacks on the project. CP Fatai said the Command also arrested 28-year-old Chidiebere Ochiri for allegedly vandalising and stealing government-in...

... Odita Says Training has created bonds that will last a lifetime Participants at the international seminar on Fruit Processing and Comprehensive Utilization for Belt and Road Countries have praised China’s hospitality, technological innovation and organisational discipline, describing the two-week programme in Beijing as a transformative experience. Speaking on behalf of the participants at the closing ceremony, Odita Sunday-Udemaguna said the seminar had brought together participants from nine countries and created lasting professional and personal relationships across continents. The seminar, held from August 4 to 17, 2026, brought together delegates from Jordan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Thailand and Bangladesh. Odita expressed appreciation to the China National Research Institute of Food and Fermentation Industries Corporation for organising the programme, as well as the hosts, facilitators, lecturers and supervisors for their cont...

By Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC Chieftain The outcome of the Osun State gubernatorial election may have generated understandable excitement within the opposition camp, but it would be a serious political miscalculation to interpret one state election as a dress rehearsal for what awaits Nigeria in 2027. Elections are won constituency by constituency, state by state, candidate by candidate and, ultimately, through the ability to convince voters that a particular political platform deserves their mandate. Osun is Osun. Nigeria is Nigeria. The circumstances, candidates, issues, alliances and voter calculations in a gubernatorial election cannot simply be photocopied and presented as a template for a presidential election. The opposition would therefore do well to celebrate its victory without prematurely converting it into a prophecy. There is nothing wrong with political optimism. Indeed, every political party needs optimism, confidence and the conviction that victory is possible. What is dan...

The Chief Executive Officer of Razor Media Group, Odita Sunday-Udemaguna, has reached the historic Great Wall of China as part of his participation in the Seminar on Fruit Processing and Comprehensive Utilization for Belt and Road Countries, held in Beijing from August 4 to 17, 2026. Odita was among participants drawn from nine countries, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Thailand and Bangladesh, who participated in the two-week seminar designed to deepen knowledge and cooperation in fruit processing and comprehensive utilisation. Speaking at the closing ceremony on behalf of the participants, Mr. Odita described the programme as a remarkable experience that brought together people from different countries and transformed them from strangers into colleagues, friends and partners. He expressed appreciation to the China National Research Institute of Food & Fermentation Industries Corporation for organising the programme, as well as the...

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, AIG Simeon Udofia Akpanudom, has called for greater professionalism, ethical conduct and stronger collaboration among security agencies to tackle emerging security threats. Akpanudom made the call on Wednesday at the August edition of the two-day Lagos State Security Training Programme organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund at The Zone, Gbagada Expressway, Lagos. The training, themed “Enhancing Professional Capacity, Ethical Standards and Inter-Agency Collaboration for Effective Security Operations,” brought together about 100 participants from various security agencies. The AIG described the theme as timely, noting that criminals were increasingly using emerging technologies, exploiting institutional gaps and operating across jurisdictions to evade detection and prosecution. He said security personnel must continuously improve their knowledge of the law, ...

Former Bayelsa East Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, has called on President Bola Tinubu to bring more “mad men” into his administration, saying Nigeria needs bold officials who are willing to confront entrenched interests and deliver results. Murray-Bruce, who is also the founder of Silverbird Group, in a post on his X handle, said he was making the call as a supporter of the administration who wants the President to succeed, stressing that support should not translate into sycophancy. He explained that by “mad men”, he meant people who were willing to challenge a broken system, confront powerful interests and reject mediocrity in public service. According to him, Nigerians need officials who are “crazy enough to confront a broken system, step on powerful toes, offend entrenched interests and refuse to accept mediocrity simply because mediocrity has become normal.” The former senator cited the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, as an example of what he described as a ...

By Bukola Olukemi-Odele A recent narrative circulating across public health and media spaces-exemplified by reports from food corporations and their allies - advocates mandatory fortification of seasoning cubes with iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin B12 to fight against anaemia and neural tube defects in pregnancy. According to these advocates, fortified seasoning cubes, which are consumed in almost every Nigerian home, could become an effective vehicle for delivering essential vitamins and minerals to pregnant women across the country, helping to reduce the country’s high prevalence of anaemia among women of reproductive age and neural tube defects in newborns. These advocates point to high household reach, framing fortification of ultra-processed seasoning cubes as a primary maternal health intervention, while ignoring the grave maternal and neonatal emergencies- gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and cardiovascular complications caused by high sodium intake in pregnancy. ...

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, AIG Olorundare Jimoh, has assured residents of Lagos and Ogun states of improved security, urging them to sustain their trust and cooperation with the police. Jimoh gave the assurance in Lagos when the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Integrity Youth Alliance, Abuja, Kehinde Adewole, presented him with the “Outstanding Excellence in Security Leadership Award 2026” at the Zonal Headquarters, Onikan. Adewole said the award recognised Jimoh’s leadership, professionalism and commitment to accountability-oriented policing. He cited the recovery of more than 115 stolen vehicles, prosecution of suspected cult members and zero-incident security records during major festive celebrations under Jimoh’s leadership as Lagos Commissioner of Police and now AIG. He also credited the deployment of 250 personnel and 50 tactical vehicles to strategic locations, alongside rapid crime-response operations, for contributing to the recognition. Respondi...

The Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, has congratulated Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, urging him to use his renewed mandate to unite the state and accelerate development. The Ooni, who is the Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council and Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, described Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 governorship election as a fresh mandate and a renewed responsibility to serve all residents of the state. In a statement by the Senior Media Officer, Ooni’s Palace, Sodiq Lawal, on behalf of the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, the monarch said the conclusion of the election should mark the beginning of a new chapter of unity, reconciliation and purposeful governance. He urged Adeleke to extend an olive branch to political opponents and work towards healing divisions that may have emerged during the electioneering period. “Y...