“People in 2025 are talking of 2027… you can’t even talk about 2027 because there is no guarantee that you would go beyond 2025. Who are you to begin to talk about 2027?” was the question posed on Sunday by Alex Otti, governor of Abia State, to those already canvassing for political power while the next general election is still two years away.

Otti, who showed his disapproval at the move when he hosted Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of the state an currently Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, wondered what would give such people their impetus, in a situation where nobody knew what would happen the next moment.

Kalu in company of Chris Adighije who once represented Abia Central Senatorial District, to pay “a friendly visit,” said was undertaken “to commend and encourage him for the good works he is doing in the state and also use the opportunity to discuss governance issues with him.”

At the parley, Otti questioned as he imagined the audacity of those talking about 2027, trying to play God, adding: ‎“Today is certain; tomorrow is a promise. Next tomorrow is gambling. Let us talk about today; when tomorrow comes, and we are lucky to be part of it, we can hold the discussion. Nobody is competent to talk about tomorrow except he or she wants to play God.”

Advertisement

It was also a day that the governor also indicated showcased his support for President Bola Tinubu “as he takes difficult but courageous and necessary economic decisions to fix Nigeria’s economy.”

“When you talk about supporting President Tinubu, the President and I are very good friends and our friendship predates party politics and current positions. We agree on so many issues, and as it is natural, we know where we disagree. But, when you talk about the economy, what Mr. President is doing has always been my position for a long time.”

Stressing that his position on removal of subsidy was fully documented, including he urged those in doubt to read his columns at the back of Thisday Newspaper, some years back, especially during the Covid-19, where he laid down a comprehensive argument on the matter, insisting that Nigeria had no need to sustain the system.

‎His words: “It requires somebody with courage to remove that subsidy and I am in support of it. We have behaved in an irresponsible manner for a very long time. And, when you have years of irresponsible behavior, the correction would be tough, difficult, and painful. It is the correction that we are going through now. If we don’t lose faith, we will eventually get it right.

‎“So, talking about supporting the President, it’s a no-brainer. I will continue to support him because it is the same administration.”

Advertisement

Expressing gratitude to Kalu, for the work he did in the state before him, he argued that there was no need to dwell on how things went wrong in the past, as his government had hit the reset button and start work, without looking back in the interest of the people rather than fighting anybody.

“Government and Governance is a continuum, it can be broken but you must go back and recover it. My late mother was a strong supporter of Orji Uzor Kalu for the good works he did in road construction when he became Governor, especially in Aba. It is still the same template I’m using.

“I can assure you, that template is not wrong. You fix the place that generates the revenue, the revenue will come and you use it to fix other places.”

Advertisement

Muhammed Ali Ndume, former Chief Whip and Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, has bemoaned the state of the Nigerian Army, saying Nigerian soldiers are operating under a very poor and sorry state, accounting for the parlous state of insecurity in the country.

Ndume, one of the few Senators at the 10^th National Assembly, dismissed claims that insurgency had been contained, saying groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African States (ISWAP), remained quite powerful and active, especially in Borno and other surrounding states in the North East.

A guest of Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS, the Senator representing Borno South and one of the oldest lawmakers in Nigeria at the moment, regretted the ugly situation, urging the Federal Government to find the means to redeem the situation.

Regarding the defeat of terrorism, he told his host: “They have not been defeated, especially in the BAY states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. As it is now today, you can’t travel anywhere in Borno after 5 o’clock till eight in the morning. And it has been like that.”

Advertisement

He added: “The Nigerian Army are doing their best under the circumstances that they’re operating as I’m telling you now. I don’t know about last week, I don’t know about last month. Our soldiers that sacrifice their lives, some of them are even yet to be paid the N70,000 minimum wage; and their daily ration up till now – I don’t know about last week, because I’m interested, I’m a Nigerian, I’m a Senator, is N1,500. You can imagine what N1,500 can do to somebody you just posted from Port Harcourt sometimes.

“I met a young man from Bayelsa posted to Bama and he’s being paid N50,000, when I met him – N50,000. As Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, I was on their neck. I’m not trying to exonerate myself, but Buhari is alive. He knows the pressure I personally put on him, especially for him to approve the loan that we collected to procure the Tucano Jets that change the balance.

“Right now, the truth of the matter is that our Nigerian Armed Forces, generally, are not well-trained, are not equipped, are not motivated, are not armed. If you don’t do that you don’t get anywhere.

“I suggested at one time that if we can’t do that at the shortest possible time, then one of the short-term solution that the Chief of Defence Staff came here to disagree with me, which is entitled to, is to engage the services of private military contractors – PMC – It is done all over. America that is the greatest country in the world, they engage in Blackwater, which is a known contractor. The British Army do that, French do that.

“So, with this problem, of two or three black spots, you can address it through the Private Military Contractors – and ask them to fix it. They’ll fix it. And the Nigerian Army can engage themselves in other things. But I look at it as something of pride. What’s wrong in engaging private contractors to solve the problem?”

Advertisement

Nigerians may begin to buy cheap petrol again with the Federal Government announcing the sustenance of the naira-for-crude oil initiative, which saw operators like the Dangote Refineries reducing the pump prices on three occasions between December 2024 and February 2025.

Fears that the government would discontinue the policy after the first phase ended on March 31, had been rife, leading to the progressive hike in prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), at filling stations designated by the company for the operation of the price reduction.

But on Wednesday, the Ministry of Finance announced that the policy would continue after a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, attended by all the relevant officials and agencies involved in the management and operations of the policy.

The decision to continue with the policy came after the meeting of the Technical Sub-Committee, with Wale Edun Minister of Finance Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Committee, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), resentatives of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, and Dapo Segun, the Chief Financial Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, all in attendance.

Advertisement

A statement by the Ministry of Finance on X, said of the decision: “The Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market.

“As with any major policy shift, the Committee acknowledges that implementation challenges may arise from time to time. However, such issues are being actively addressed through coordinated efforts among all parties.”

Advertisement